


Ladrien June 2019

by SailorChibi



Series: Lovesquare Ficlet Collection 2019 [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Needs a Hug, Angst, Angst and Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Identity Reveal, Ladrien June, Miraculous Side Effects, Miraculous Tendencies, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post Reveal, Secret Identity Reveal, one-sided reveal, post reveal pre relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-04-05 19:20:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 20,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19046746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorChibi/pseuds/SailorChibi
Summary: 30 unrelated ficlets featuring our favorite bug and model.





	1. Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> Continuing my Lovesquare month’s, this time it’s Ladrien June.

This drabble is a direct sequel to [Marichat May Day 14: Angst](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18670513/chapters/44678416) so you may wish to refresh your memory with that first.

* * *

The cool, tingly feeling was what made Adrien realize he was alive. He sat there for a moment longer, head spinning. The last thing he remembered was Hawkmoth stealing Ladybug’s miraculous, and the tears in Marinette’s eyes as he’d spirited her away -

“Adrien?”

His eyes snapped open and he looked around to see Ladybug. She’d clearly been fighting; her costume was torn in places and half of her hair had fallen free, red ribbon draped precariously over her shoulder.

She’d never looked more beautiful.

“Ladybug,” he breathed, trying to get up. She rushed to help him, her blue eyes too bright with tears, and ended up falling into his arms.

“I thought you were dead,” she wept into his shoulder. “I thought -”

“Ssh, I’m fine,” Adrien soothed. He didn’t bother to tell her that he was pretty sure he had been dead. If she didn’t already know, he wasn’t going to be the one to disillusion her.

“I just - I was so - oh, _Adrien_ ,” she said, and then she was kissing him. Her lips were soft but tasted of blood. He flinched and broke the kiss instinctively.

“I’m sorry,” he breathed, resting their foreheads together. He didn’t even know what he was apologizing for at this point, the list was so long.

“Don’t apologize. You saved my life. You do that a lot,” she said with a shaky smile. “Here. I had to borrow this, but it belongs to you.” She slid the silver ring from her hand and deposited it into his palm.

“Plagg!” Adrien said, pleased and relieved when Plagg appeared

Plagg scowled at him. “Don’t take that tone with me. What part of ‘stop dying’ did you not understand?”

“I didn’t mean to die,” Adrien said.

“You never mean to die,” Ladybug muttered. “That makes it no less traumatizing.”

“I like this girl,” Plagg said, tail lashing the air.

Adrien decided to ignore them both and changed the subject. “Hawkmoth?”

“I managed to take down the akuma, but he’s still out there,” Ladybug said. “This conversation about you dying on me is not over, by the way.”

“Hawkmoth first,” Adrien said. He hesitated for only a moment before giving into temptation and kissing her again. She kissed him back greedily, _gratefully_ , and he hated that they couldn’t stay here like this.

Ladybug seemed to be thinking the same way. She pulled back this time and sighed. “Ready?”

Adrien nodded. “Always. Plagg, claws out!” 


	2. Famous

He could see it in her eyes, her face and her body. It was in the way her smile tightened at the edges. The way her shoulders stiffened. The way she slid, however unconsciously, closer to Chat. And how, if she was alone, her panic was obvious.

Or at least, it was obvious to _him_. He liked to think he knew her better than anyone else, and vice versa, even if she didn’t know it.

That was why, right after his transformation dissolved, Adrien grabbed Plagg and sprinted back to where he’d left Ladybug. She was too kind hearted to leave a confused akuma victim alone, but that always meant the press had time to descend on her.

“Ladybug!” Adrien shouted when he was only half a block away.

Ladybug, and all the cameras, swung around to face him. Adrien balked slightly - his father was going to _kill_ him - but it was too late now. He ran up to her.

“We have an emergency,” Adrien panted. “I need your help. Could you -”

Her blue eyes widened and she nodded, professional mask sliding over her uncertainty. “Of course.”

He’d intended to just ask her to come with him; Adrien was struck dumb when she stepped closer and laced an arm around his waist. He could feel himself blushing, and saw a similar blush on her face, as she threw out her yo-yo with her opposite hand and let it take them away.

The ground fell away beneath them. Most people probably would’ve been scared. Adrien was thrilled. He didn’t often get the chance to travel with Ladybug. Usually she and Chat traveled separately, under their own power, to make themselves a more difficult target. Ladybug’s yo-yo was completely different to Chat’s baton.

They landed on a nearby rooftop. Ladybug let go of him and stepped away as she said, “Sorry about that. Most people find that scary.”

“I didn’t. I know you’d never drop me,” Adrien said without thinking, and watched her face turn the color of her suit. He was a little embarrassed by his big mouth, but seeing her so flustered was worth it.

“Um - um - of course I wouldn’t,” Ladybug stammered. She visibly tried to collect herself. “You said there was an emergency?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry. I was just trying to get you away from the press. I know they make you uncomfortable,” Adrien said.

Ladybug deflated. “That obvious, huh?”

“Just to me,” Adrien told her. And when she looked at him curiously, he quickly added, “I’m in the spotlight a lot. You figure out pretty fast who is used to it and who isn’t.”

“I see.” Ladybug nodded and sighed. “I hate it, especially since Chat is so good with people. I mean, I try, but they all want my attention and there’s so many questions and I’m petrified I’ll tell them something I’m not supposed to.”

Chat had _lots_ of practice, Adrien didn’t say. He hesitated, then offered, “Do you want some tips?”

Her eyes lit up. “Really?”

Adrien smiled. “Of course.”

“That would be amazing. Thank you so much, Adrien!”

Her praise made him blush again. “No problem, Ladybug.”


	3. Couple

“Um, excuse me? A-Adrien?”

Nino sighed and Adrien winced internally, already knowing what was about to happen just from the tone of the girl’s voice, but pasted a smile on his face as he turned around. He didn’t recognize her, but that wasn’t uncommon.

“I - I like you. I wanted to know if you’ll go out with me?” she asked.

She was brave, Adrien had to give her that much. She hadn’t even waited until they were alone. For that reason alone, he almost hated to break her heart. But he had to. Adrien shook his head, watching as her hopeful smile faded.

“I’m sorry. My father won’t let me date right now.”

It was the same thing he always said in response to things like this. Everyone knew how strict Gabriel Agreste was when it came to his son. The girl didn’t even look surprised. She simply nodded, blinking back tears, and turned to walk away.

Adrien sighed and bid Nino good-bye. He walked out to the car and got in. As the Gorilla drove him home, he looked out the window. Truth be told, he’d never asked his father about dating. He’d never had to. The one woman he loved was not someone he could publicly be with.

Not yet, anyway. Not until Hawkmoth had been dealt with.

But that was okay. In a way, the secrecy made both their lives a lot easier. Ladybug didn’t have to deal with questions, and neither did he. And her presence certainly brightened Adrien’s life up. He couldn’t contain his smile as he rushed up the steps to his room.

“Hi!” Ladybug chirped the instant Adrien’s door opened. She stood before his bed, a vision in red that made Adrien’s heart skip several beats.

“Hi,” he said back, pushing the door shut. They looked at each other for a moment. Adrien loved just _looking_ at her. When Ladybug was around, all of the pressure and bullshit he had to put up with just… fell away. He wasn’t Adrien Agreste or Chat Noir; he was just a lucky boy in love with a beautiful girl.

“How was your day?” Ladybug asked, cocking her head. Several stray strands of hair slipped out from behind her ear, falling against her cheek.

Adrien closed the distance between them, brushing those hairs away. His fingers lingered, thumb tracing the line of her mask. She smiled up at him, her blue eyes sparkling. She only smiled that way when she was here, in his room, and he loved her all the more for it.

Someday, he knew, he’d be able to tell her the truth about who he was, and she’d be able to tell him who she was. Then they could walk down the street together, and he wouldn’t have to put up with any more proposals. In fact, _he_ would be the one doing the proposal.

But for now…

“My day was okay. I had a photo shoot this morning, but my lesson after school got canceled. How was yours, _Petite Coccinelle_?”

She blushed the way she always did when he called her ‘little ladybug’, but answered readily. “Pretty much the same. The best part about it is being here with you.”

“Same,” Adrien said immediately. He put his opposite hand on her hip and pulled her closer. She did so immediately, winding her arms around his neck. He bent his head and kissed her.

It was worth the small lies. It was worth having to hide. Ladybug was worth _everything_.


	4. Model

Ladybug could only pray that the way she was feeling didn’t reflect on her face right now. If anyone had told her last week that she would be here, _modeling_ next to _Adrien Agreste_ , she would’ve laughed.

Yet here she was.

“Ladybug, could you lift your chin? The line of the shirt isn’t falling right.”

She had no idea who the suggestion had come from, but Ladybug blindly obeyed. All of her usual confidence had fallen to the wayside. She was _so far_ out of her usual depths. Part of her wanted to throw up out of sheer nerves, except she would then have to die of embarrassment after doing so in front of Adrien.

It had all started three days ago. When Ladybug first got the request through the Ladyblog to do a modeling shoot with Adrien, she thought it was a joke. Then she found out that Gabriel Agreste was very serious. And _then_ she found out that half the proceeds from the campaign would be going to the charity fund set up to help akumatized victims.

How could she say no?

So here she was, standing beside Adrien. She was transformed, of course. But she was also wearing a high-necked black shirt with long, flowy sleeves that covered her gloves. A black mini skirt and knee-high black boots completed her look, meaning that the only part of her costume actually showing was part of her legs and her mask.

The photographer called for her to lift a leg and press it to the wall beside her so as to better show off the flash of her red costume. Ladybug tried to obey and squeaked in alarm as her balance wavered. She would’ve fallen over entirely had Adrien not grabbed her around the waist.

“Are you okay?” Adrien said into her ear. He helped her to stand before backing off, but he stayed close enough to whisper.

“No,” Ladybug groaned. “Just… put me out of my misery.”

He chuckled. “It’s okay, my - uh, Ladybug. Modeling isn’t easy, but you’re a natural.”

“I highly doubt that,” she muttered. She could see the frustration on the faces of the people around her, and she was _mortified_ that she was failing so miserably in front of Adrien. She was supposed to be the heroine of Paris!

Adrien smiled, which made her heart flutter, and said, “You just need to loosen up a bit. Um… may I?” He held out a hand.

“Sure,” she said, inwardly flailing. She was _holding Adrien’s hand!_

He gently pushed her back against the wall, looked her over critically, and then helped her to place her hands, arms, feet and even legs. He tilted her chin up and then slightly to the left, then rearranged one of her pigtails so that the red ribbon tie was more easily visible. His fingers brushed her cheek and she blushed.

“That’s better. Just relax,” Adrien said, and leaned against the wall beside her. He smiled at her and she smiled helplessly back. It was so easy to get lost in his beautiful eyes that she forgot all about the photographer and the modeling shoot altogether. At least, until the sound of snapping camera stopped and someone spoke up.

“Wonderful! Now Ladybug, can you take off your shirt? We want a shot of you in your costume, the skirt and boots.”

“Uh, right,” Ladybug said, snapping out of her daze. She shed the shirt and handed it off, smoothing the skirt.

“Very cute,” Adrien said. Then his eyes widened and he blushed. “Uh, I mean -”

“Thanks,” Ladybug said shyly. She reached for her yo-yo, self-consciously spinning it. “How about a few shots with my yo-yo?”

“Yes!” the photographer crowed. Adrien grinned.

They took shots of Ladybug doing tricks wirh her yo-yo. Shots of Adrien trying to do tricks while Ladybug giggled. Shots of both of them getting tangled up in the yo-yo’s strings and falling to the ground together (she _definitely_ wanted a copy of that one).

Then they asked her to remove the rest of the clothes, leaving her in just her costume. The very last photo of the day was of Ladybug up on a ledge, leaning over Adrien. Adrien stood below her, holding up a single red rose while she leaned down as though to take it. It was a photographic moment straight out of Ladybug’s dreams.

No one was surprised when that was the most popular photo of the campaign.


	5. Damsel

“You’re sure about this, Sir?”

“Very sure,” Gabriel said sharply. “Do as you’re told, Nathalie.” He hung up his phone and moved to the center of the room.

“Master, this isn’t a good idea,” Nooroo said.

“Quiet. Nooroo, dark wings rise!”

Hawkmoth held his cane lightly in his right hand and a butterfly in the left. He lifted his hand, setting the butterfly free, and closed his eyes. He could feel the raw surge of emotions in the distance and smiled. Nathalie was so good at her job when she wanted to be.

When his akuma made contact, Hawkmoth spoke again. “Rainstorm, no one understands you,” he cooed, smirking. “They don’t appreciate what you do for the city. All anyone cares about is Ladybug and Chat Noir. I can help you get the accolades you deserve if you’ll just get their miraculous.”

“Of course, Hawkmoth,” Rainstorm whispered.

When the transformation was complete, Hawkmoth could see through Rainstorm’s eyes. And that meant he could see Nathalie with her hand firmly clamped around Adrien’s upper arm, keeping him from running off. Adrien was looking around frantically, but he couldn’t shake Nathalie.

Ladybug swung in moments later. Noticeably, Chat Noir didn’t show. Hawkmoth remained quietly, watching intently. He’d chosen the powers for this akuma with purpose. Ladybug, he’d noticed during his examinations of the footage from previous battles, grew overwhelmed if there were too many people to save and Chat Noir wasn’t there to help her.

Rainstorm sprang into action, trapping people. Ladybug fought back, of course, but with Hawkmoth whispering in the akuma’s ear she was easily trapped. And then, just as Rainstorm was reaching for her miraculous -

“No!”

“Adrien!” Nathalie could be heard screaming.

“Adrien!” Ladybug cried out.

Hawkmoth watched, tense and silent, as Adrien charged towards the akuma with only a wooden beam in hand. He knocked the akuma off of Ladybug with one well-placed blow. Rainstorm fell back, but kept watching.

Ladybug sat up. Adrien knelt beside her, face painted with worry. He took her hand, looking her over, and asked if she was okay.

Hawkmoth had seen that expression, heard those words, before.

He barely paid attention as Ladybug gently pushed Adrien away and defeated the akuma. His experiment had confirmed his long-held suspicion, though he wasn’t wholly sure what to do with the knowledge yet - only that something did, indeed, need to be done.

Because Adrien was Chat Nor.


	6. Working Together

“Okay,” Ladybug said. “Okay.”

Chat eyed her. “Okay…?”

She gave him a tight smile. “I have a plan, but you’re not going to like it.”

She was right, Adrien later reflected. He _didn’t_ like it.

He gritted his teeth and pasted on a smile anyway, allowing the akuma’s minions to usher him to the front of the pack. They were all chanting his name, which was _supremely_ _creepy_. He really wanted to run away, or at least transform again.

But Ladybug was right. Everything they’d tried so far had failed. Neither Chat nor Ladybug could get close enough to the akuma to grab her necklace; the akuma was too fast and her minions to plentiful. Adrien was, unfortunately, the man for the job.

“Adrien! Finally,” the akuma gushed, beaming when she saw him. “Oh, you look just as I imagined you! You’re so beautiful!”

“Uh… thanks?” Adrien said, trying to conceal a disturbed shiver. “I, uh, I just don’t want you to hurt anyone else.”

The akuma frowned. “I’m not hurting them,” she objected. “I’m _helping_ them. Now they all see how amazing you are!” She flung her hand out.

Adrien followed the direction of her hand, looking at the sea of minions, and tried not to shudder. All of them had blond hair and green eyes just like him. They were even dressed in jeans, a black shirt and a white overshirt.

“Right, my mistake,” he said hastily. “I… I am pretty awesome.”

Somewhere, he knew, Ladybug was rolling her eyes.

But the akuma beamed at him and shuffled closer. “You are! And we could be so great together,” she cried enthusiastically. “You want to be with me, right?”

“Sure,” Adrien said with another polite smile. He let himself move closer, reaching out as though to take the akuma’s hand.

At the last second, just as the akuma was moving her hand, he changed trajectory and grabbed her necklace. With one quick, hard jerk, he broke the chain. She screamed and staggered back as a black butterfly fluttered out of the necklace.

“Gotcha!” Ladybug cried from above. “I free you from evil!” She caught the butterfly in her yo-yo and landed on the ground a few feet away. “Bye bye, little butterfly!”

The akuma melted away to reveal a young girl, sitting on the ground with a baffled look. That is, until she caught sight of Adrien. Her eyes widened, lips parting. Adrien started to shake his head, backing away - but there were so many people around, _too_ many people -

“Miraculous Ladybug!” Ladybug called out, throwing her Lucky Charm in the air.

“Oh my gosh, it’s _ADRIEN AGRESTE_!” the girl screeched seconds later. As the purifying red light swept the city, heads snapped around to face Adrien.

“Shit,” Adrien mumbled, and rushed over to his lady.

Ladybug looked entirely too amused, but she grabbed his waist and used her yo-yo to get them up off the ground. They swung several streets away in the span of mere seconds before Ladybug deemed it safe to stop, depositing them both in a rooftop.

“Ladybug express, at your service,” she cracked, giggling. “You should’ve seen your face when she yelled your name.”

“That was worse than fighting the akuma,” Adrien groaned. He _hated_ being caught in the middle of crowds like that.

Ladybug grinned. “The perils of being the hottest single man in Paris,” she teased.

Adrien pouted. “But I’m not single.”

“Well, maybe it’s time we told them that,” she said. “Ladybug and Chat have been dating for five months, and Adrien and Marinette have been spending plenty of _platonic_ time together. So it won’t look too weird. I think we’re safe.”

Their time together had only been platonic in public, but Adrien didn’t bother to point that out. Ladybug was already well aware of that, as both of them often went to school wearing high quality cover-up on their necks.

He moved over to her and pulled her into a hug. “I would love that,” he said.

“Why, so I can protect you from your would-be suitors?” she asked coyly.

“I did call you an ‘Everyday Ladybug’ for a reason.”

Ladybug laughed and kissed him. “That you did, _Minou_ ,” she murmured against his lips. “Don’t worry. Ladybug will _always_ protect you.”


	7. Fencing

Adrien was laying on his back on his bed when he heard the quiet tapping at his window. He ignored it for a moment, thinking that it was a bird or a tree branch, but when the sound persisted he rolled over in annoyance.

And then promptly fell off the bed in shock.

The tapping stopped, and Adrien had a mental picture of Ladybug having seen his monumentally uncool faceplant, regretting all her choices, and yo-yoing away. But when he pushed himself up, she was still there. Only now she looked really concerned.

He got up and stumbled over to the window, unlatching it. His brain worked frantically: it was probably too late to try and pretend that hadn’t happened, but maybe Ladybug would be kind enough to ignore it -

“Are you okay?!” she blurted out the second the window opened.

Or not.

“I’m fine,” Adrien said, silently resigning himself to spending _hours_ beating himself up about this later.

Ladybug pursed her lips, staring at him with narrowed eyes. “Are you sure? I think you hit your cheek.”

Automatically, Adrien lifted a hand to his cheek. It _did_ hurt, and his father was going to be pissed if it bruised,but he pasted on a smile. “It’s nothing. What brings you by?”

“Oh.” Ladybug’s cheeks colored slightly. Now she looked nervous. Shyly, she said, “I… I saw you win your fenching match today. I wanted to congratulate you and bring you something.”

“You were _there_? You _brought_ me something?!” Adrien wasn’t sure which fact amazed him more.

“Yup. Here.” Ladybug picked up a bakery box that Adrien hadn’t noticed before. He recognized it immediately. Marinette sometimes brought pastries in for their class as a treat, and the distinctive teal blue box with the gold ‘D-C’ embossed on top was a pleasure to see.

“Th-thank you!” Adrien stammered, stunned. He took the box, but didn’t do anything with it just yet.

Ladybug smiled at him, her eyes twinkling. “Well, open it!”

“Okay…” Still in disbelief, Adrien obeyed. He found himself staring at a delectable assortment of pastries surrounding a raspberry-white chocolate cheesecake. His mouth immediately watered.

“Do you like it?” Ladybug asked softly.

“I love it! White-chocolate raspberry is my -”

“Favorite. I know.”

Adrien looked at her, confused. “You know?”

For a moment, she turned her head away. Adrien stood in confused silence. He knew Ladybug well enough to know that she was very nervous, and that she seemed to be working herself up for something, but he didn’t know what. All he could do was stand there and give her the opportunity to speak.

“I was there at your match today,” Ladybug said at last. Her voice was a little shaky, but determined. “You… you have a very distinctive fencing style.”

Adrien’s eyebrows furrowed. “I do?”

She smiled again, this time to herself, and finally looked back at him. “Yeah, _Chaton_ , you do.”

He nearly dropped the box. Only the realization that all the pastries and the cheesecake would be ruined if he did, kept him from letting go. He stared at her in shock, jaw dropped. Ladybug giggled at his reaction.

“Don’t worry. Only someone who spends as much time watching Chat Noir _and_ Adrien Agreste would figure it out, and no one spends nearly as much time doing that as I do,” she said, blushing.

“You… you… wait, _what_?” Adrien said, still dumbfounded. “I thought -”

“I know. I didn’t _try_ to figure it out. It just hit me today and then I couldn’t shut my brain up and I kept thinking of all the similarities and the more I tried _not_ to think about it the more I did and -”

“It’s okay,” Adrien said, gathering himself together long enough to cut off her rambling. He wasn’t sure how long she could go without breathing in the suit, but he wasn’t willing to test it.

Ladybug took a deep breath. “And then… I thought that if I knew… well… maybe fair is fair.”

“You’re… really? Come in, you can detransform here!” Adrien said, barely able to contain his excitement, and she giggled wildly.

“Non, _Chaton_. I had to figure it out and so do you.”

“But Ladybug,” Adrien whined. Honest to god whined. But she was torturing him! He’d tried to deal with his desire to know who Ladybug was, but now… now the information he’d yearned for was _so close_.

“Nope,” Ladybug said mischievously. “Don’t worry, Adrien. I’ve already given you a _paws_ -itively _purr_ -fect clue. I baked it myself. You just need to look at your claws.”

Adrien groaned in protest. She laughed and leaped backwards off the ledge, throwing out her yo-yo long before she hit the ground. It wrapped around a distant point and sent her sailing over the gates and out of sight.

_I baked it myself. Just look at your claws._

Her words ran through his mind again. Slowly, he looked down at the unmistakable bakery box. Several things tumbled through his brain all at once, culminating in an undeniable conclusion. His eyes widened in realization.

“ _Holy shit_!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ficlet [has been expanded](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20498684).


	8. Valentine

“ _Oh my god_!”

Adrien didn’t mean to scream. He really didn’t. And in retrospect, as his father and Nathalie sprung apart and blankets went flying, he _really_ wished he hadn’t. He clapped a hand over his eyes and turned blindly towards the door.

“Adrien, wait!” Gabriel ordered. There was shuffling that sounded very much like clothes were being pulled on.

“I just wanted to tell you I’m going out with my friends!” Adrien blurted out. His shoulder bounced painfully off the doorframe as he stumbled into the corridor.

His father shouted again for him to stop, but Adrien would be perfectly happy if he _never_ had to look Gabriel or Nathalie in the eyes ever again. He hurried down the steps and took off out the front door.

“Your _face_ ,” Plagg gasped as soon as they were outside, cackling. “That was priceless.”

“That was disgusting! I didn’t even know they were dating! Oh god.” Adrien groaned and stopped running. “They’re _dating_.”

Plagg emerged from his shirt pocket and grinned. “I’d say based on that human mating ritual you walked in on -”

“Finish that sentence and you will _never_ have Camembert again,” Adrien threatened.

Plagg just laughed again. Adrien scowled at his kwami and started walking. He didn’t know where he was going and didn’t care. His sole focus was on doing everything he could to not think about what he’d walked in on, which is probably why he didn’t notice Ladybug overhead until she dropped down in front of him.

“Happy Valentine’s - Adrien, you’re not even wearing a coat!” Ladybug exclaimed, looking horrified.

Adrien looked down at himself, belatedly realizing she was right. The exposed skin of his arms was pebbled with goosebumps. Plagg had long since disappeared back into his pocket. Then he looked around and saw that he’d wandered into the park. It was cold enough out that there was no one else around, which was why Ladybug had seized her chance.

“I saw something horrible. I had to leave the house immediately,” Adrien said gravely.

Ladybug frowned. “What? What happened?” She moved closer and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, ostensibly to warm him up; since Ladybug was always freezing in winter, and her black cat was the one who typically ran hot enough to compensate, it didn’t do much good. But he appreciated the effort all the same.

“My father and Nathalie…” He trailed off and shuddered.

“Yes?” Ladybug prompted.

“They were…”

“They were?”

“Having…” Adrien glanced around furtively. “You remember three nights ago when your parents were out and we had the place go ourselves?”

Ladybug’s jaw dropped. “Oh. _Oh_. Ew!”

“Right?” He grimaced and rubbed his face. “I feel so traumatized.”

“I… ugh,” Ladybug muttered. “I was wondering why you hadn’t shown up to the restaurant.”

“To the - shit, I’m sorry!” Adrien grabbed her hands. “I forgot all about our reservation.”

“It’s okay. That would traumatize anyone,” she said, grimacing. “Are you okay?”

“I’d be better if your miraculous cure could bleach my eyes and brain.”

“Sorry, I don’t think that’s possible.” Ladybug paused and frowned thoughtfully. “I didn’t even know they were dating.”

“I didn’t either.” Adrien moaned pitifully and flopped against her shoulder. “My Lady, I can’t _un_ see it!”

She hugged him and patted his head, though he could tell she was trying not to laugh. “My poor _Chaton_.”

“It was horrible,” Adrien mumbled.

“I bet. Come on. Maman and Papa are out on their own Valentine’s date. What do you say we skip dinner and go right home, and I’ll make you forget all about what you saw?”

When he looked up, she was smiling suggestively. Adrien’s heart quickened and he straightened up, nodding enthusiastically. Her smile widened and she grabbed him around the waist, throwing out her yo-yo.


	9. Clumsy

One moment Adrien was upright and walking right behind Nino and Alya. The next moment, he was laying on the path.

“Adrien!” Several voices called his name at the same time. Adrien blinked, disoriented, and started to sit up. He was caught off guard by the blinding pain that shot up his ankle and couldn’t help a yelp.

“Whoa, Dude, you okay?” Nino asked, crouching down beside him. “That was a hard fall.”

“Um… I’m okay,” Adrien said, even though he wasn’t. He looked down at his right ankle, which was already starting to swell.

“That doesn’t look okay,” Alya said. “I don’t think you broke anything, but you definitely sprained it.”

A hand touched Adrien’s shoulder. He leaned into it automatically, knowing without looking that it was his lady.

Madame Bustier knelt down, frowning. “We’ll have to take you back to the bus,” she said.

“No!” Adrien protested. Their whole class had been looking forward to this nature walk for months. He couldn’t bear to be the one who ruined it for everyone.

“I’ll help him,” Marinette said. “I don’t mind. There’s an ice pack in the cooler on the bus.”

“I’ll help,” Nino said.

“ _No_ ,” Adrien said again, more insistently this time. “I can get there with Marinette’s help. It doesn’t hurt that bad.”

Frankly, he would’ve preferred it if Marinette had gone ahead too. But he knew there was no way that was going to happen. Just like he would never leave his partner if she was injured, she would never leave him.

Madame Bustier sighed. “I hate to send you two back alone.”

“We’ve only been walking for fifteen minutes,” Marinette said reasonably. “It’s not that far.”

“Well… alright. But you go straight back. And if Adrien’s ankle swells, make sure you call his father,” Madame Bustier said. “Put an ice pack on right away and elevate it.”

“Sure,” Adrien said, exchanging a look with Marinette. There was no way in hell he was calling his father.

He got up with the help of Nino, Alya and Marinette, then leaned heavily against Marinette as the rest of their class followed Madame Bustier up the trail. Several of them turned back to look; Adrien waved until they’d gone round a bend and were out of sight.

“Good thing Chloé wasn’t here,” Marinette said, and Adrien laughed even as he groaned and let his hand fall.

“I couldn’t take her hanging off me,” he muttered.

“How bad does it hurt? Can you walk?”

He took an experimental step and sucked in a sharp breath as his leg buckled under his weight, nearly sending him to the ground. Marinette grabbed him just in time. They looked at each other. Then Marinette shrugged.

“Obvious answer. Tikki, spots on!”

“Wha - what are you doing? What if someone sees you?” Adrien hissed.

“There was no one else in the parking lot,” Ladybug pointed out. “If I have to, I’ll detransform when we get there. But come on, Adrien. You can’t walk, and I’m strong but not strong enough to carry you that far.”

He frowned, but had to admit she was right. Sighing, he wrapped an arm around her neck and allowed her to scoop him up with one arm around his back and the other below his knees. The movement made his ankle ache and he hissed through his teeth.

“Too much?” Ladybug stopped, looking at him in concern.

“No, it’s fine. Just… walk slow,” he said. They couldn’t stay here forever.

She obeyed, moving far slower than their normal pace and taking care to avoid any stones or rough patches. Adrien focused on trying to keep his leg as still as possible. He had the feeling it was going to hurt when he got his shoe off.

“Normally I’m the clumsy one,” Ladybug said after a few minutes.

“I don’t even know what happened,” he admitted.

“I think you stepped on a loose rock. Your ankle went one way and your body went the other. You’re probably lucky you didn’t break something,” she said.

“Can you imagine my father’s reaction if I had? I’d never be allowed to do _anything_ ever again,” Adrien said, a little horrified by the thought.

Ladybug half-smiled. “He’s gonna be pissed anyway.”

“Yeah. At least I’ll get a little vacation from modeling,” Adrien said glumly, and she made a soft sound of assent.

They finally arrived back at the bus. Ladybug carried him on and got him seated, then took his backpack and helped him prop his foot up. He hissed when she took his shoe off and put the ice pack on, but the cold quickly started to help.

“Better?” Ladybug asked, looking worried.

Adrien nodded. “But you know what would help even more?”

“What? Tylenol?”

“No. A kiss to make it better.” He gave her his best set of kitty eyes.

Ladybug stared at him for a moment, then rolled her eyes. “Oh, _minou_ ,” she said, shaking her head, and Adrien cracked a grin.

Then he froze, because she’d knelt down and moved the ice pack. He watched, barely breathing, as Ladybug knelt down and kissed his ankle - so gently that he barely felt the pressure of her lips, yet the spot magically felt better regardless. Then she looked up at him and smiled.

“My lips hurt too,” Adrien blurted out, and she cracked up. But she also leaned up to give him a kiss on the mouth, so he considered it a win.

 


	10. Oblivio

“ _I’m starting to understand how much you mean to me, Adrien_.”

It was a good thing no one was watching her. Or at least, Ladybug hoped no one was watching her. As those words floated through her mind, she mistimed a jump and her foot slipped on the edge of a roof; she grabbed for the edge with a panicked squeak and was able to flip herself up and over, landing safely on the shingles.

Then she just stood there for a moment, eyes squeezed shut. Adrien’s face bloomed in her mind, his big green eyes watching her with naked affection. She saw herself promising to protect him and leaning in to kiss his cheek.

“Uggggh, that couldn’t have happened!” Ladybug yelped, grabbing at her pigtails. Adrien couldn’t be Chat Noir!

… or could he?

Frustrated, Ladybug moved back to the edge of the roof and leaped off. She used her yo-yo to get to the Agreste mansion, where she landed in a tree just inside the fence. Adrien’s windows were open and the light was on. He was pacing back and forth.

She watched him for several minutes, trying to figure it out. They’d dealt with Oblivio over two weeks ago. Chat’s behavior with Ladybug hadn’t changed too much, but Adrien’s behavior had been a little different with Marinette. She’d noticed that he seemed to watch her more. But did that mean something, or was her overactive brain jumping to conclusions?

Suddenly, Adrien came to the window and looked straight at her. Ladybug squealed and jerked back, hoping to camouflage herself amongst the leaves -

“Ladybug?”

\- but unfortunately a bright red suit with black spots stuck out like a sore thumb.

It was tempting to run, but Adrien had already seen her. She didn’t want him to be creeped out or think she was a stalker. Ladybug sighed and edged forward, then skillfully jumped from the tree branch to the ledge outside Adrien’s window. There she perched, and they stared at each other.

Adrien spoke first. “What are you doing here? Is there an akuma targeting us again?”

“No. No akumas,” Ladybug said, shaking her head so fast that her pigtails slapped her in the face. She had to wonder what had happened during the _last_ akumas. Had Adrien really been in the shower? Or was that just a convenient excuse so that Chat could join her?

“Oh, okay.” Adrien relaxed and smiled at her, which made her pulse quicken. He had such a sweet smile when he wasn’t being forced to model.

“I, uh… I just…” Her throat was dry. She couldn’t come right out and _ask_ , could she?

“You what?” He tilted his head slightly and blinked at her. Now that she was paying attention, she realized it was a look that Chat had given her multiple times. Her heart turned over.

“I think I’m starting to understand how much you _really_ mean to me,” she blurted out.

Adrien froze.

They stared at each other.

“You seem like someone who always has the right idea at the right time,” Adrien said slowly, and Ladybug couldn’t help letting out a slightly crazed laugh. He’d told her that at least two or three times during the whole Oblivio mess. He really did remember. It really _was_ him.

“I guess it’s my super power,” she said shyly, hardly able to believe this was happening. “Which is good, because apparently my _other_ super power doesn’t work right. The miraculous cure was supposed to make us forget.”

“I thought I was going crazy,” Adrien admitted. “I thought maybe I was so desperate to remember that my brain was filling in the holes with what I _wanted_ to have happened, not what _actually_ happened.”

Ladybug bit her lip, then whispered, “You really wanted it to be me?”

“I meant it when I said Marinette is an ‘Everyday Ladybug’,” Adrien said seriously. “I just didn’t know how right I was.”

She blushed but smiled. “And you’re my kitty… I never would have guessed. You hide it well.”

Adrien looked pleased by the compliment. “Being Chat Noir is my chance to be free,” he said. “I don’t have to worry about my father or upholding the Agreste name when I’m transformed.”

That explained so much. Ladybug mentally took back a lot of the bad things she’d ever thought about her partner. She’d spent a lot of time thinking Chat was just a silly, flamboyant tomcat. And he _was_ , just not for the reasons she’d expected. It made it easier to see Adrien and Chat as one and the same.

“I’m glad you have that release,” she said sincerely, and Adrien smiled.

“Do you want to come in?” he asked. “We could.. talk.”

“Sure,” Ladybug said, her face heating up again. She’d been in Adrien’s bedroom before as both Marinette and Ladybug, but it seemed different now that they both knew. The masks between them had been stripped away.

He stepped back and she moved forward, setting first one foot and then the other on the floor. As she straightened up, she caught sight of Plagg, sitting on Adrien’s desk and chowing down on a chunk of Camembert that was almost as big as he was. Plagg tossed her a wave and then bit the chunk of cheese in half.

Adrien followed her gaze and sighed. “I know. He’s gross.”

Ladybug giggled. “He’s fine. We can’t all be lucky enough to have a kwami who loves cookies.”

He pouted at that. “Yeah, you definitely got the lucky end of the stick on that one, My Lady.”

Her heart fluttered big time at hearing those words coming out of _Adrien’s_ mouth. She had no idea how she was going to cope with this from now on, but she wasn’t going to tell _him_ that - Chatdrien would enjoy it _far_ too much.

Instead, she just smiled back at him. “I guess I did, _Chaton_.”


	11. Innocent

“You’re sure about this?” Alya asked.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” Ladybug said quietly. “Start filming.”

Alya bit her lip, looking doubtful, but finally nodded. She unlocked her phone and pulled up the app she used to live stream to her blog. Ladybug tried not to stiffen up; she kept her hands loose at her sides no matter how much she wanted to fold them across her chest. She needed people to take her seriously.

“Hey there Lady fans!” Alya said, holding her phone up to face her. “Your favorite Ladyblogger was just chilling tonight when who should stop by to give me a heart attack but Ladybug herself! She has a message for Paris, and I’m honored to help her pass it along.” Alya’s smile faded as she spoke, her expression becoming more serious.

“So let’s listen, okay? _Really_ listen.” Alya turned the phone to face Ladybug. “Go ahead.”

“Hello, Paris,” Ladybug said. Her mouth was dry. “As most, if not all, of you know, three weeks ago Hawkmoth was unmasked as Gabriel Agreste, and Nathalie Sancouer as Mayura. For those who are curious or concerned, Chat Noir and I have the Butterfly and Peacock miraculous under wraps.”

Behind the phone, Alya gave her a thumbs up. Then she touched the Fox miraculous around her neck. Ladybug squared her shoulders.

“But that’s not why I’m here. It’s come to my attention that several people have been harassing Adrien Agreste for what Hawkmoth did. He’s been mocked, scolded, yelled at, and earlier today someone punched him.” Ladybug’s chest tightened at the memory.

She pushed on, adding, “I want you all to know how reprehensible your behavior is. I personally verified that Adrien had _nothing_ to do with Hawkmoth. He was unaware of what his father was doing. The police have since investigated and agree that Adrien is clear of any potential charges. People seem to think that he _should’ve_ known, but he didn’t. You can’t always know your family.”

After all, Ladybug loved Adrien _and_ she loved Chat. For almost two years, she’d had no idea they were the same man.

“And you can’t always know when bad people are doing bad things, especially when they are trying to hide it. Hawkmoth fooled _all_ of us, myself included. Adrien is only sixteen,” she went on. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that you can’t punish a child for what their parents do.”

Alya nodded fervently and mouthed ‘wrap it up’. Ladybug gave her a slight nod and looked right into the phone.

“This has to stop. Adrien Agreste is _innocent_. So… so I’m here telling you all to knock it off. Because the next time I hear about someone harassing Adrien, that person will receive a _personal visit_ from me. I guarantee that you will _not_ like the way that visit goes.”

She finally allowed herself to cross her arms and gave the phone the sternest look she could muster. She held the pose until Alya ended the transmission, and only then did she allow herself to sag.

“You did good,” Alya said encouragingly.

“I doubt it’ll be enough,” Ladybug said with a shake of her head.

There was a knock at the door and then it opened. Adrien stuck his head in. Alya smiled at him, winked at Ladybug, and quietly left the room to allow them some privacy.

“You didn’t tell me you were gonna do that,” Adrien said, closing the door after Alya.

“I had to. They won’t leave you alone,” Ladybug said.

“I told you, I don’t care,” Adrien said, but his red-rimmed eyes and the slump of his shoulders said otherwise.

Ladybug opened her arms and he went to her immediately, laying his head on her shoulder as they embraced. She cupped a hand over his head, wishing more than anything that she could do _more_. Worrying about him, offering hugs and cuddles, making sure he ate and bathed and slept… it all seemed so inadequate.

“It’ll be okay,” she whispered. “I promise.”


	12. Future

Adrien had never felt so uncertain in his life. He stared at the floor as Future Ladybug walked around his room. He didn’t know what to do or say. What if he said or did something wrong and she took off?

“Relax, _Petit Chaton_ ,” Future Ladybug said. She came to a stop in front of him.

He looked at her black boots first, then slowly moved his eyes up to her face. Her costume had changed, gaining black gloves in addition to the boots as well as a black piece across her shoulders.

She was taller than his Ladybug, he’d noticed, as she had a couple inches on him. Her hair was longer, pulled back in a braid. She’d… erm… _filled out_ more (and Adrien blushed even thinking that); even her face had lost some of its youth, and left new wrinkles behind.

But her eyes. Framed by the same red, black-spotted mask, those blue eyes were still the same. Soft and kind. The way she smiled at him, Adrien wasn’t sure if he wanted to kiss her or lay his head in her lap and cry.

“Sorry. It’s just weird,” he said, realizing he’d been quiet for too long. “And my Ladybug is in the future?”

She nodded. “Don’t worry. _Chaton_ will take excellent care of her. I remember how much he loved having his _petite coccinelle_ around.” She rolled her eyes playfully.

“Do we beat the akuma?” Adrien asked, realizing she’d already lived through this moment. She knew exactly why the Ladybug of this time and the Ladybug of the future had been swapped, and knew exactly what was going to happen because of it.

Future Ladybug nodded. “We do, but it takes a day or two. I’ll just hang out here, if you don’t mind. The fewer people that see me, the better.”

“I don’t mind at all!” Adrien said, maybe a bit too eagerly judging by her amused look.

“Great.” Future Ladybug looked around and sighed. “I forgot how big your bedroom used to be.”

“Used to be?” Adrien repeated. “So… in the future, I don’t live here anymore?”

“Ah, shoot,” Future Ladybug muttered. “I’m going to have to be more careful with what I say. I can’t tell you anything about the future, _Petit Chaton_. I’m sorry.”

“But we clearly find out each other’s identities at some point. You knew who I was,” Adrien pressed. What a shock that had been to turn around and suddenly find his partner gone and a future version of her saying his civilian name!

Future Ladybug nodded. “We do. I’ve known for - well, I can’t say. But I know.”

“And you…” He shuffled his feet. “Do you - are we -”

He blushed when she laughed, mortified, and wasn’t prepared for the hug she wrapped him up in. It was all encompassing, that hug, and Adrien melted into her. He didn’t get hugs very often, and Ladybug gave the best.

“I love you, _Petit Chaton_ ,” Future Ladybug said gently. “Your Ladybug loves you too. I don’t want to change things by telling you too much, or by telling you things you’re not ready to hear.”

“I am ready,” Adrien protested, but it was weak even to his ears. He knew that his Ladybug wouldn’t be very happy if she returned to find out that her older self had told him the truth.

And frankly, if he was being honest, this wasn’t how he wanted to find out. He and Ladybug had been through so much together. He wanted to find out who _his_ Ladybug was, not the Ladybug she would someday become.

“I know you are,” Future Ladybug said, hugging him a bit tighter. “Just keep holding on for me, okay? I swear things get a whole lot better for you, Adrien.”

She’d never said his name before, and Adrien shivered to hear it. He wanted to ask her more, _yearned_ to _know_ , but knew that would only put her in the position of saying no. So, same rules as when he and Ladybug were out on patrol. That was easy enough.

“Do you still like video games?” he asked, regretfully breaking the hug before he did something irredeemably embarrassing, like sob in her arms. As it was, he had to slyly wipe his eyes on the hem of his shirt.

“I love them,” she said, pretending not to notice, and reached out to ruffle his hair. “Bring it on, Cutie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now has a companion piece: [Ladynoir July Day 5: Lost](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19434787/chapters/46400608).


	13. Meeting Gabriel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one ignores the fact that Gabriel and Ladybug have interacted before.

There was a long silence, during which Adrien didn’t move or breathe and Ladybug strongly considered throwing herself out the window without her yo-yo, and then Gabriel cleared his throat.

“Mlle Ladybug,” he said stiffly. His hand clenched around the doorknob.

Okay, so this wasn’t a concussion or a horrible nightmare. It was actually happening. A fashion icon was standing in the doorway staring at them. Great. Good. Awesome.

“Monsieur Agreste,” she said faintly, when it became clear she wasn’t going to be lucky enough to spontaneously combust, and slowly removed her hands from Adrien’s pants. Gabriel’s eyes followed the movement. Only when her hands were visible did he speak again.

“Adrien,” Gabriel continued.

“Father,” Adrien squeaked out. It seemed like the skin of his face and chest couldn’t decide whether to turn an alarming shade of red or go completely white, and had settled on splotches of red-and white that looked rather unflattering.

Gabriel skewered them both with a _look_. “I didn’t expect you to have a… friend over.”

The subtle pause before the word ‘friend’ made Ladybug want to die. This was _so much worse_ than if Gabriel had just walked in on Marinette and Adrien. And that _was_ how their night had started, but then Adrien had asked her to transform with _that look_ in his eyes and she was helpless to deny him.

She really needed to get better at saying no.

Adrien gulped. “Ah… Ladybug was just saying goodnight,” he said quickly.

“Really,” Gabriel said, so dryly that it sucked all of the moisture out of the room. Ladybug licked her lips, her mind racing and failing to come up with a reasonable, non-sexy explanation for why she’d had her hands down Adrien Agreste’s pants.

She came up blank. Gabriel wasn’t stupid. Especially considering that Adrien had been moaning pretty loudly before Gabriel walked in. That was actually probably _why_ Gabriel had walked in.

“Yes sir,” Ladybug said meekly. “I’m just… going.”

“Please do,” Gabriel said.

She exchanged a helpless look with Adrien and jumped out the window, flinging her yo-yo out at the last minute. It caught and propelled her up and over the fence, across the street, and onto a nearby roof.

There, she put her hands over her face and melted into the ground with a horrified moan. She couldn’t believe that had just happened.

What a way to meet your future father-in-law.


	14. Pictures

Adrien stared at the picture on his phone and sighed dreamily. Even though logically he knew it was dangerous for Alya to run towards akuma fights, he was _so_ glad that she did. These new pictures of Ladybug were _amazing_.

“Have you heard anything I just said?” Nino asked, sounding way too amused.

“Yeah,” Adrien said absently, flipping to a new picture. Alya had a real talent for highlighting how fierce Ladybug looked when she was fighting.

“Liar. You’re totally lost in those photos,” Nino said.

“What photos?” Alya set her bag down on the desk behind them and leaned forward to look.

“Your Ladyblog photos,” Nino told her, and Alya squealed.

“Aren’t they amazing?! The way Ladybug took down that akuma was incredible. She’s gotten so good with her yo-yo!”

Adrien whipped around and beamed at her. “Right? And did you see how flexible she is? She literally twisted herself upside down to avoid that last attack!”

Alya clasped her hands together. “I saw! What about that moment when she was free falling? And at the very last second she just -” Alya whipped a hand out to imitate Ladybug throwing her yo-yo. “And caught herself!”

“It was _so_ cool,” Adrien gushed, even though that moment had also given him a small heart attack. He’d thought Ladybug might actually hit the ground. He should’ve known better than that.

“Ladybug is the coolest,” Alya sighed. “I just love her so much.”

“Me too. I love her too,” Adrien said, looking back down at his phone, and then raised his eyes again when he heard a faint squeak.

Marinette was standing there, face completely red.

“Hi Marinette,” Adrien said, then turned back to Alya. “I love this picture. You captured her perfectly!”

“That’s one of my favorites,” Alya said, nodding fervently. “It’s so hard to pick and choose what I want to put online.”

“You have more photos?” Adrien said.

Alya shot him a smirk. “Sunshine, I’m running out of room on my phone because I have so many pictures of Ladybug.”

“Show me!” Adrien demanded, shooting to his feet. Alya whipped out her phone and opened her camera. Adrien promptly forgot about the rest of the world as he absorbed all the pictures of Ladybug.

“So,” Nino said dryly. “You wanna sir next to me today, Mari? Let the Ladybug fans sit together.”

“U-uh, s-sure,” Marinette stammered.

Adrien paid them no mind. He didn’t even care that Nino was pointedly pushing his bag aside. His sole focus was on Alya’s finger as it swiped again and again, showing him more breathtaking photos of his lady.


	15. Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: this takes place post-Galaciator and ignores the fact that Ladybug saw Chat’s romantic set-up at the end.

Adrien’s heart raced as he surveyed the rooftop. Now that he knew for _sure_ Ladybug was going to show up this time, he’d recreated the romantic dinner he’d set up for her last time. Candles, roses and rose petals littered the rooftop, surrounding a soft white blanket.

He bent down and adjusted the position of a petal, then looked around again. Asking Ladybug to meet him here had been a whim; he’d been shocked when she agreed. Finally, he’d get the chance to show her how much he loved her!

In the distance, he caught sight of a red-suited figure and beamed. He watched as Ladybug landed a few rooftops away. She’d definitely seen him; she was staring right at him. Yet she didn’t move. Not until Adrien hesitantly lifted a hand and waved.

Slowly, Ladybug crossed the last couple rooftops and leaped over the gap. She landed lightly beside him, her eyes taking everything in.

“Hi Ladybug,” Adrien said shyly.

“Hi… Adrien,” Ladybug said. She looked right at him, a strange expression on her face. “Did you do this?”

“Yeah. I just… I knew I only had one chance to make you feel special and I didn’t want to spoil it,” Adrien said, scuffing his foot lightly on the roof. “There’s food too. Dinner. If you’re hungry.”

He didn’t know why she’d agreed to come with Adrien when she’d turned Chat down, but he desperately hoped this went well. He’d pulled out all the stops.

Ladybug just stared at him for several seconds. Her eyes were very wide.

Adrien bit his lip. “Do you… do you not like it?” he asked glumly. Marinette had seemed to think it was pretty nice, but girls could be funny like that.

“No. I mean yes! I mean I love it,” Ladybug said, hitting her forehead with her hand. “Sorry. You caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting…” She trailed off.

“It’s too much, isn’t it?” Adrien said.

“No! Not at all. I’m… I’m so happy you did this for me again, Adrien.” Ladybug smiled at him. And honestly, her smile was so breathtakingly beautiful that it too him a moment to realize what she’d said.

“Wait, again?” he repeated.

Ladybug nodded. “I’m so sorry I didn’t come last time. I should have. I think we got our wires crossed. You were waiting for me here and I was waiting for you somewhere else…” She reached out to pick up a rose and held it up to her nose, smelling it.

“Wait. What?” Adrien said, honestly baffled.

She sighed. “I know you’re Chat, Adrien.”

He actually staggered back a step. “W-What?! But how?!”

“Because Chat showed me this,” Ladybug said, gesturing to the rooftop. “When I needed some cheering up, because the guy I’m in love with didn’t show up to get ice cream with me and my friends.”

Adrien stared at her. His mind was blank, yet loads of little things were clicking into place. That night, Nino had invited him to go for ice cream with him, Alya, Mylène, Ivan, and…

And the one person Chat had shown his hard work to.

“ _Marinette_?!” he gasped.

Ladybug smiled and nodded sheepishly. “Hi _Chaton_.”


	16. Blush

Chat took to the rooftops, using his baton where necessary to nimbly leap across the gaps. As he moved towards the heart of Paris, his vision caught and held on a certain billboard…

And the red-suited figure sitting in front of it.

And as he grew closer, he realized that it wasn’t just Ladybug’s _suit_ that was red. No, her face was a little red too.

And she was staring right at the billboard with an unmistakably _dreamy_ look in her eyes.

Chat may have stumbled a bit on his landing. Okay, he toppled right over out of pure shock. Ladybug squawked and jerked back in surprise when he landed at her feet.

“Chat? What on earth are you doing?!” she demanded, sounding strangely flustered.

He scrambled up onto his hands and knees and leaned forward until their faces were inches apart, staring at her intently. Ladybug’s blush deepened and spread beneath the hem of her suit, until she was one solid shade of red from head to toe.

“W-what -” she stammered.

“My Lady, the boy who has your heart…” Chat was oddly breathless himself. “Is it… Adrien Agreste?!”

Ladybug sputtered and flailed her hands around (nearly smacking him in the face) and did everything but give him a straight answer… which really, Chat thought giddily, was an answer in and of itself.

Could it be that all this time, he was competing against _himself_ for his lady’s heart?!

“I-I just… I just like the… the new billboard!” Ladybug was saying, her eyes wandering back up to the photo as she spoke.

Chat looked up too, staring at the billboard critically. He didn’t think it was one of his better shots, to be honest. It didn’t really look like him, but more like the stuffy, perfectly behaved boy his father _wished_ he was. But he supposed the cut of the pants emphasized his butt well enough.

“You like the new billboard huh? Or is it the _Ass_ greste you like?” Chat asked innocently.

She squeaked something unintelligible and went bright red again, confirming his suspicions. Chat sat back on his heels, staring at her with wonder.

Ladybug was in love… with _him_.

“Bugaboo, you’ve made me the happiest cat in the world,” he declared.

Her eyebrows furrowed beneath her mask. “Wait. What?”

“Plagg, claws in!”

Ladybug shrieked and went to clasp her hands over her face, but it was too late. Her eyes grew about three sizes as she took in Adrien Agreste standing before her, wearing tailored black pajamas.

“A-A-A-” Ladybug didn’t seem to be able to get anything but that one syllable out.

He beamed at her. “That’s right. It’s me, My Lady! I know you don’t want to know who I am, but the danger is more than worth your heart.”

She didn’t answer, except to keel over in a dead faint. Adrien just barely got his hands up in time to catch her, and he staggered as her full weight hit him. They slid to the ground in a semi-controlled descent, with an unconscious Ladybug draped over Adrien’s lap.

Plagg cackled. “She’s gonna _kill you_ when she wakes up.”

“Yeah,” Adrien sighed happily, staring down at her beautiful face. _She loved him_. “But what a way to go.”


	17. Aspik (Adrien with the Snake miraculous)

“Oh boy, this isn’t good,” Adrien said under his breath. He slipped further into the alley and dug around in his pocket until he came up with a wedge of cheese.

“You think?” Plagg said, taking the cheese.

“Be quiet and eat fast. Ladybug needs me,” Adrien hissed back. Today’s akuma had the power to multiply itself. Dozens of clones were running around Paris, wreaking havoc.

He’d already used his Cataclysm and now Plagg needed a chance to recharge. Ladybug had told him that, in the meantime, she was going to get help. He assumed that meant that Rena Rouge, Carapace and possibly Queen Bee would be joining them shortly.

He spent a couple minutes watching the clones run rampant and checking his phone. He ignored a text from Nathalie but answered Nino’s text about where he was, then turned back to ask Plagg a question… only to realize Plagg was gone. Adrien stared at the spot where his kwami had been, open mouthed, and was just getting ready to freak out when something landed right behind him.

It was instinct to throw an elbow back. Whoever it was caught his arm; he heard a familiar, startled exclamation at the same time and relaxed. He allowed Ladybug to spin him around.

“Oh god, sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said, looking mortified.

“It’s… it’s okay,” Adrien said. At least now he knew Plagg had hidden to keep Ladybug from seeing him.

Ladybug nodded and said, “I need your help.”

“Okay,” Adrien said automatically.

She gave him a small smile and held her hand out. Adrien stared at the familiar wooden box. Somewhere, he was sure, Plagg was laughing his furry little butt off.

“Adrien Agreste, this is the Snake miraculous. It contains the power of persuasion, and will allow you to hypnotize our enemies into obeying,” she said. “Once the battle is over, I need you to give the miraculous back to me.”

“Um,” Adrien said. His brain was blank. He couldn’t turn Ladybug down. But he _had_ to turn Ladybug down. She would definitely notice if Chat didn’t come back from recharging.

But she’d come to _him_. Him, Adrien Agreste. Out of everyone in the city…

Suddenly, he looked up at her. “How did you know where I was?”

Ladybug blinked, looking startled, then said, “I… I have my sources.”

Nino. It had to be Nino. But why would Ladybug have gone to Nino to ask him where Adrien was, and not just given Nino the Snake miraculous? Nino was no less trustworthy than Adrien was. It didn’t make any sense.

Unless…

Unless Nino was _already_ on the field. And if Nino was, then Alya was too. Carapace and Rena Rouge were clearly dating and Nino wasn’t the kind of guy to play around.

Who would choose Nino, Alya _and_ Adrien to be miraculous holders?

“Adrien?” Ladybug asked, and he snapped to attention.

“Right. Yeah. Okay,” he babbled. He needed to think about this later. There was a suspicion forming in the back of his head, a huge one, but he didn’t have time to process it right now.

He took the box and opened it, slipping the green bangle on. Sass appeared in a shimmer of gray-green light. He cast Adrien’s silver ring a knowing look, to which Adrien gave a little shrug. Thankfully Sass didn’t push it.

“I’m Sass,” he announced. “It’s a pleasure. To transform, you say ‘slither on’.”

Adrien looked at Ladybug and smiled weakly. There was no way this was going to end well, but he was in too deep now. Saying no would lead to questions he couldn’t answer, not yet, and right now they needed the power of the Snake miraculous more than the Black Cat.

He held his arm up and called, “Sass, slither on!”


	18. Trust

Adrien was working on his homework when all of a sudden it started _pouring_ outside. Lightening flashed across the sky every couple of minutes and thunder boomed right on its heels. The clouds were an ugly greenish color. It was a hell of a storm, and it didn’t look like it was going to stop anytime soon.

Needless to say, he almost had a heart attack when Ladybug landed on the ledge outside his window and knocked feebly on the glass.

“Ladybug! What are you doing?!” Horrified, Adrien jumped up and sprinted over to his window. He opened it up and let the soaked super heroine spill inside, landing on the carpet with a soggy thump.

“Ugggh,” Ladybug groaned as Adrien hastily shut the window. She pushed her sopping bangs out of her face and squinted up at him.

“What were you doing out?” Adrien said, baffled and worried. He knew for a fact that she didn’t have patrol tonight; she and Chat had talked about it just last night and decided that the weather was going to be too nasty.

“I was actually out running errands as a civilian. I thought I could make it home before the storm started. But then… well.” She waved a dripping hand towards the window, then sneezed. “I transformed, and you were closer,” she finished miserably.

“You need to detransform. You’re soaked,” Adrien said. He took her hands to help her up, a shiver running up his spine at the feeling of the icy water. Their suits gave them some insulation, but she had to be freezing.

“My civilian clothes are wet too,” she pointed out.

“You can wear my pajamas,” Adrien said. “And return them Tuesday night when you drop by. I’ll give you a bag to put your clothes in so I won’t see them.”

Ladybug looked like she wanted to argue right up until she sneezed again several times in succession. She sniffed and wiped at her nose, making a face.

“You don’t want your kwami to get sick either, do you?” he asked, walking briskly to his dresser. He pulled out his softest pair of pajama bottoms and sweatshirt, the ones he liked to wear when he wasn’t feeling well, and turned back to Ladybug.

She was looking at him with the strangest expression on her face. Adrien blinked at her and realized she was probably concerned about her identity.

“You can dry off in the bathroom. When you come out, we can turn the lights off and I’ll shut my eyes,” he said, holding the clothes out.

Ladybug took them and said, “Did you know your hair is all messed up?”

“It is?! I was working my way through geography and there are some tough problems,” Adrien said, mortified. He quickly ran his hands through his hair. Judging by Ladybug’s smile, and how several strands flopped over into his eyes, he was just making it worse.

“It looks good,” Ladybug said. She exhaled, sounding shaky, and smiled again. “I’ll just go shower.”

She vanished into the bathroom and shut the door. Moments later pale red light blazed from beneath the door. Adrien startled, jerking back when it opened, but it was just Tikki. The poor little kwami was shivering fiercely.

“Do you have any cookies?” she asked pathetically. “Ladybug’s are all wet.”

“Plagg is in his bed. Feel free to join him while I grab you some,” Adrien told her. He hurried from the room and down to the kitchen. It was late enough that no one was around. He piled some cookies on a plate and then, after a moment’s thought, made some tea.

He went back upstairs with the snack and found Tikki curled up with Plagg, no longer shivering. Adrien set out two smaller cups for them - Plagg liked half milk, half tea, but Ladybug had frequently mentioned Tikki’s sweet tooth so he’d made Tikki’s cup with six spoonfuls of sugar - and some cookies, then knocked on the bathroom door. By that point, the water had stopped running.

“Ladybug? I have tea for you,” he said. He knew she liked a dash of milk and sugar.

“Oh, thanks. Hey Adrien? Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” he said, surprised she had to ask. He was an open book for Ladybug.

“How did you know what a kwami was?”

Adrien froze. Completely blanked. He opened his mouth but no words came out. He frantically tried to remember an occasion, _any_ occasion, where Ladybug might have mentioned her kwami to him… and couldn’t.

“I… uh… that’s… you see…” he babbled uselessly.

Ladybug chuckled. “That’s what I thought… _Chaton_.”

Shit. Adrien groaned and thumped his head against the door. “I fucked up. I’m sorry.”

“It was an honest slip of the tongue,” she said kindly. “You were worried. It’s my own fault really. I shouldn’t have been out when I knew the storm was so close, but I wanted to run one last delivery for Maman and Papa…”

Adrien looked up, confused that she was sharing information so freely. “Delivery?”

The door swung open and he caught himself from falling forward at the last second. Marinette smiled nervously as his jaw dropped and his eyes bulged, and shyly asked:

“Could I have that tea now?”

 


	19. Love Letter

It was all Alya’s fault.

She was the one who came up with the idea of a way to allow fans to write fan mail to Ladybug and Chat Noir. Fans could send their letters to a post office box. Alya would collect them, and either Ladybug or Chat would pick them up from Alya.

People _loved_ it. There was something much more personal about writing a letter, and every letter they got was filled with praise and professions of love. People would cheer when they saw Ladybug or Chat going overhead with a familiar purple bag in hand.

One night, Chat picked up the bag from Alya as per usual. But before he went to see Ladybug, he slipped a letter into the pile. He was too shy to give Alya a piece of fan mail for Ladybug, especially since Adrien wanted to be anonymous, but he wanted Ladybug to know how much he appreciated her. If it seemed like Ladybug liked it and was happy to hear what he had to say, maybe he’d sign the next one.

So maybe it was Chat’s fault.

He then met up with Ladybug and they divvied up their piles. It had become something of a tradition for them to read through the letters together. Often the messages were personal and not to be shared, but it was still nice to see the way that Ladybug smiled when she got a really good one.

“Lots of letters today,” Ladybug observed as she pulled her pile closer. There were at least twenty letters for her and half a dozen for Chat.

“It’s summer. Tourist season,” Chat said. It was hard sometimes because they couldn’t always read the foreign languages people wrote in. Google translate could only help so much. But they tried.

He took his smaller pile and opened up the first letter. It was from a little girl - he smiled at that - who loved black cats and thought Chat Noir was the best black cat of them all. His heart melted at the enclosed photograph, which showed the little girl dressed up in a Chat Noir costume.

“My Lady, look at -”

“Oh my god!” Ladybug screamed, startling Chat. He nearly dropped both the letter and the picture.

“What? What is it?!” he asked, clutching the letter and picture to his chest to keep the wind from blowing them away.

Ladybug waved a familiar blue envelope and two sheets of paper around frantically. “ _Adrien Agreste_ sent me fanmail! I can’t believe it! This is the _best day_ of my _life_!”

It might have been Ladybug’s fault.

“What?!” Chat leaned over in disbelief, eyes scanning the letter to see if maybe he’d signed it without thinking. He’d tried so hard to omit any details that would lead Ladybug back to either Chat or Adrien. He managed to catch a glimpse of the end of the second page, with no signature, before Ladybug pulled it away.

“It’s private, Chat,” she said, blushing.

“But no one signed it. How do you know who sent it?” Chat said.

Her blush deepened. “I… I may know Adrien in real life. I might’ve memorized his handwriting.”

Chat stared at her in dumbfounded silence.

She seemed to take that as a judgment, and frowned defensively. “I-I can’t help it, okay?! He sits right in front of me. I see his papers every day!”

“Marinette?!” Chat blurted out, because the only other person who sat behind him was Alya and that couldn’t be right.

Ladybug froze. Her blue eyes were huge. “How did you -?!”

“Because I wrote that,” Chat said, stuck somewhere between hysteria and glee as he pointed to the letter. He detransformed just to prove it, and she made a high pitched squeaking sound.

“You?!” Ladybug’s mouth dropped and she pointed at him. “A-Adrien?!”

“Oh god,” Adrien said. He’d never expected this. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t think you’d recognize my handwriting! I’m sorry!” He tried to grab the pages back.

“No!” Ladybug snapped out of her shock, turning away and clutching the pages protectively. She eyed him over her shoulder until he put his hands up, then hunched over the papers to read them.

Adrien squirmed. He _really_ wished she wouldn’t. He’d thought it was anonymous so he’d poured his heart into that letter. He’d gone on and on about how much he loved and admired her, and how brave she was, and how beautiful and kind and intelligent and _ugh_.

“You don’t really need to -” he began.

“Shhh!” Ladybug hissed.

Adrien sighed and reached in his pocket to get a wedge of cheese for Plagg. Then he resigned himself to waiting until she was done; she’d kick his ass if he tried to take them again. It didn’t take long.

He froze when Ladybug turned around with teary eyes.

“Did you really mean this?” she asked shakily.

“Um… yes,” Adrien admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d recognize - oomph!”

He yelled as Ladybug literally threw herself at him, sending them both toppling backwards onto the roof. She wrapped her arms around him in a huge hug.

“You’re so sweet,” she sobbed into his shoulder. “Thank you so much!”

“Uh… you’re welcome?” Adrien said. He wasn’t entirely sure what was happening. “Aren’t you… are you mad at me?”

Ladybug pushed herself up a bit. “ _Mad_?” she repeated incredulously.

“Now we know who each other is,” he pointed out.

“It was an accident,” she said. “Neither of us did it on purpose. Oh Adrien, I’m not mad. I’m so _happy_ right now. I love you too!”

“Really?” he whispered, stunned. “Even though I’m Chat?”

She cupped his face. “Especially because you’re Chat.” And then she kissed him, and Adrien forgot everything else.

Who cared whose fault it was when it meant he got a kiss from Ladybug?


	20. Soft Touches

Ladybug stood on the ledge outside of Adrien’s window, but waited several minutes before she risked peeking inside. She didn’t want the doctors or nurses or worse yet, Gabriel himself, to see her.

Because the window was open, she could hear the moment the nurse left his room. Only the quiet beeping of machines filled the air. Ladybug shifted her weight forward and carefully climbed over the ledge, wincing in pain.

“Plagg? Are you here?” she whispered.

A small black shadow separated itself from the darkness beneath Adrien’s bed. Plagg flew over to her and landed on her outstretched hand. His normally vivid green eyes were dulled, and his tiny shoulders slumped.

“How is he?” Ladybug asked, fearing the worst.

Plagg sighed. “He’s okay right now… but you need to get that akuma. I don’t know how much longer the kid can hold out.”

Ladybug bit her lip, refusing to cry. When she thought she could speak without breaking down, she said, “The others are combing the city for it right now. I promise I’ll find it and I’ll use my cure. Adrien will be _fine_.”

Her voice broke in spite of her best efforts. How many times had she told Chat not to be so reckless? Seeing him hurt, and then watching his transformation run down and turn him back into Adrien, would forever be one of her worst nightmares.

Chat was _Adrien_. She didn’t even have time to process that. He didn’t even know who she was. What if he died before she got the chance to tell him? What if he died and her cure didn’t work and she had to live without him and -

“He’ll be fine,” Plagg repeated, though he didn’t seem to believe it anymore than she did, but it was enough to stop Ladybug from having a total meltdown.

Ladybug wiped at her face and sniffed. “Oh… here. Tikki asked me to bring you this.” She opened her yo-yo and removed a small portion of cheese. Plagg took the cheese, but didn’t eat it.

She set Plagg down on the stand beside Adrien’s bed and moved over beside him. Adrien’s face was bruised and swollen. She barely recognized him. She’d removed his ring before taking him to the hospital just in case; it seemed wrong to see his hand bare.

Ladybug reached out, then hesitated before she actually touched him. She didn’t want to hurt him anymore.

“It’s okay,” Plagg said. “He’s on pain medication and they’ve got him sedated, but I’m sure he knows you’re here.”

“My kitty,” Ladybug whispered. Very, very gently, she laid her hand over Adrien’s hand. Part of her hoped he’d wake up, but of course he didn’t. If he was sedated this heavily, she suspected the doctors were hoping her cure would fix the damage without more medical intervention. They did that a lot.

She leaned down and brush a soft kiss against his forehead. She wanted to kiss his mouth, but he already didn’t remember their first kiss. It wouldn’t be fair for him not to remember the second, either.

“I’m going to beat that akuma,” she whispered to him. “And you’ll be fine. You _have_ to be fine. You owe me three children, a hamster, and a house in the countryside.”

She forced herself to straighten up. Fighting without Chat was always hard, but this was so much more _painful_ than she could’ve guessed. She didn’t want to leave; she wanted to stay here and watch over him.

But she was the only one who could fix this, so she didn’t have a choice.

“Go. I’ll watch over him,” Plagg promised.

“Thank you.” Ladybug paused to give Plagg a fond scratch on the head, then went to the window. She took one last look at her poor partner - still except for the artificial movement of his chest, surrounded by beeping machines - and blinked back tears as she leaped out the window.


	21. Secrets

“Hey Ladybug?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you tell me your biggest secret?”

There was a long silence behind him, so long that Adrien began to blush. He half-turned to see that Ladybug was looking at him with an indecipherable expression, but it didn’t take a genius to guess what she was thinking.

“Not your identity!” he said quickly. “I meant something else. Not something that would give you away either. Just - _ugh_ , never mind.” He rolled forward and buried his face in his pillow, embarrassed.

It was a wonder Ladybug had agreed to be his girlfriend, considering how much of a dork he was.

“It’s okay. I get what you mean. Just let me think for a moment,” Ladybug said. He felt her scoot closer to him, and then she laid her head on his back.

“Take your time,” Adrien said. He was surprised she was even considering the question, honestly. He didn’t meant to pry, but it was just that he wanted to know _more_ about her. There was just so much she couldn’t tell him or Chat, and that was frustrating even if it was understandable.

She didn’t know it, but he was an open book to her. She knew everything important about both sides of him - except for the fact that he and Chat were the same person. But sometimes he felt like he didn’t know Ladybug at all.

“I guess my biggest secret is how hard being Ladybug is,” she said finally.

Adrien propped his chin on his arms and stared at the wall. “You mean having to fight Hawkmoth and putting yourself in danger? Or the lying?”

He knew the lying bothered her. She and Chat had talked about that before. Ladybug didn’t like liars, and she’d said several times that she didn’t enjoy lying to her family and friends. It depressed her that she’d gotten so good at something she hated.

“Yes, but also no,” Ladybug said, which surprised him. He listened closely as she continued.

“It was hard at first to put myself in danger. But I got used to that. And I don’t like lying, but I guess I’m used to that too. No, what I find _really_ hard is the pressure. Everyone looks at me to make the right decisions. No one knows how much I second guess myself, not even Chat. I’m always scared that today is the day I make the wrong choice and doom Paris forever.” Her voice grew quiet. “If Hawkmoth wins, it’s my fault.”

“That’s not true,” Adrien protested. He hadn’t known she felt that way, though in retrospect it seemed obvious.

“Yes it is. People wouldn’t blame Chat the way they blame me.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it. Because she was right and they both knew it.

Ladybug sighed. “I try to deal with it. I tell myself that everyone makes mistakes. I tell myself that my miraculous cure can fix anything. I tell myself that Chat will always be there to help me fix any mistakes I make, and that he doesn’t expect me to be perfect. But it’s not always easy to believe it.”

She chuckled, suddenly sounding shy. “Um… I’ve… I’ve never told anyone that before.”

Adrien was quiet for a moment, trying to sort through what he wanted to say. Getting to know Ladybug as Adrien had taught him one _very_ important thing. Ladybug wasn’t perfect. She was human. And he couldn’t treat her like she was perfect because that wasn’t fair.

It was a lesson he’d tried to carry over into being Chat. He hoped, listening to her now, that he’d been successful. She deserved to know that Chat would _always_ be there for her, and so would Adrien.

“I know you’re not perfect, Ladybug,” he said finally. “You don’t have to be. That’s not why I love you.”

“Adrien,” she whispered.

“And I’m sorry you’re under so much pressure. I can’t even begin to imagine what that’s like. I hope that someday, you don’t have to worry about things like that anymore.”

Ladybug draped an arm over his waist and hugged him. “Thank you. I hope so too. And you know, I don’t mean to make it sound all bad. I wouldn’t give up being Ladybug for anything.”

It was a relief to hear that. Adrien smiled. “Good, ‘cause I bet Chat Noir can’t imagine anyone else as his partner.”

“No. Just like I can’t imagine anyone but that silly cat as my partent,” she said. “I have another secret. Want to hear it?”

“Sure.” Adrien rolled onto his side to face her, hoping his eager curiosity wasn’t too obvious. Just by her smile, he failed.

“I love you too,” she said softly, blushing faintly.

Adrien’s eyes widened. “Really?”

Ladybug nodded. “Really. Though… I guess that’s not much of a secret. Everyone knows.” She giggled nervously.

“I didn’t know,” Adrien said dumbly. He knew she cared about him… but _loved_? It was more than he could have hoped for.

“Well, now you do,” she said, and she was smiling. His pulse quickened as he leaned down to kiss her.

He couldn’t wait for the day when he could tell her that one last secret.


	22. Admirer

Ladybug was not jealous.

She _wasn’t_.

She eyed the tall stack of letters and packages sitting on Adrien’s desk, then glanced at the bathroom door. Adrien had said he’d just be a minute, but it sounded like he was going to be a while yet. His hair had to be perfect, even if transforming was just going to mess it up again.

“Who are all these from?” she muttered to herself, standing up and stalking over to the desk.

She picked up the top envelope. It was bright pink and smelled of flowery perfume. The address was done by hand. Whoever D. Blanche was, she had _beautiful_ handwriting. Ladybug turned the envelope over and felt her stomach tighten when she saw the red lipstick mark on the back.

D. Blanche had _kissed_ the envelope before sending it to Adrien.

“You know, green really isn’t your color,” Plagg drawled.

Ladybug jumped and yelped as she knocked the stack of envelopes over. She watched in dismay as envelopes and papers scattered everywhere, then glared at Plagg. He smirked back.

“Jealous, Bug?” he asked with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

“No! I was just curious,” Ladybug lied, kneeling down to gather Adrien’s fan mail.

“Riiiiight,” Plagg said. “That’s why you were practically growling when you saw that kiss mark?”

“I wasn’t _growling_ ,” Ladybug said indignantly. She bit her lip when she found another envelope with a kiss mark, this time in bright pink lipstick.

Adrien had a lot of fans, she knew. But it was one thing to know that and another thing to _see_ so much evidence of it. He could’ve had his pick of most girls in Paris, and probably many of the boys.

She sighed and grabbed the last few papers, then stood - only to drop it all again when she realized the bathroom door was open and Adrien was standing there watching.

“Adrien!”

“What are you doing?” he asked. She couldn’t read the look on his face and that made her nervous.

“I was just - just curious, that’s all,” Ladybug said, flustered. She knelt to re-gather the mail.

Adrien moved over to join her and knelt too. But rather than help, he took her hands in his. Ladybug stared at their hands. She didn’t know if the sight of his bare hands against her suit, or vice versa, would ever stop making her stomach do flip flops.

“My Lady, you know you’re the only woman for me,” he said gently, and the look in his eyes was so kind and sincere.

Ladybug blushed. “I know. I’m sorry.” She hung her head.

“You don’t have to be sorry. These people, they’re not really writing to _me_. They’re writing to Adrien Agreste, Teen Model. They just… admire the pretty pictures I produce.”

“You _are_ pretty,” Ladybug said, peeking up at him, and he laughed.

“That I am,” he said, flashing her a shameless grin. “My father used to throw all this stuff away, but that makes me feel awful. If people take the time to write to me, I like to write back and at least say thank you.”

Ladybug melted. Her partner was seriously the most _amazing_ person she’d ever met. Adrien was ridiculously busy, with barely enough time to breathe let alone sleep, and yet here he was trying to spend a precious few minutes answering fan mail.

“You’re so sweet,” she said. “What do you say we modify our date?”

Adrien cocked his head, curious. “Oh?”

“You’ve got a lot of mail here. Let’s spend the night catching up on answering your admirers,” she suggested. “We can go back to my room and watch a movie with popcorn while we do it.”

“Are you sure? That’s not much of a date,” Adrien said.

She smiled at him. He really had no idea how _good_ he was. It was adorable and electrifying all at once. “I’m totally sure.”

 


	23. The Press

Marinette wasn’t sure she had ever seen Adrien’s face as white with shock and horror as it was right now. Similarly, she didn’t think she’d ever seen Gabriel Agreste’s face as red with _rage_ as it was right now.

“Adrien, can you explain this photo?” Nadia asked again, shoving her microphone closer to Adrien’s face.

Adrien’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly as he looked at the photo. There were two very recognizeable people in that photo. Ladybug, in all of her red, black-spotted glory, was sitting on the sill of what was unmistakably Adrien’s bedroom window. Adrien, clad in the same outfit as he was wearing right now, was very happily kissing her.

“How dare you,” Gabriel seethed. “Interrupting my show with these frankly _ridiculous_ questions -” 

Nadia ignored him. “Well?” she demanded. “Do you know Ladybug? Are you _dating_ Ladybug?”

“It was me.”

The words were out before Marinette could stop herself. Literally everyone turned to stare at her. She resisted the urge to shrink in on herself and instead squared her shoulders. She’d come here for the fashion show, and to enjoy the day with her boyfriend even if Adrien didn’t _know_ he was her boyfriend, but she wasn’t going to stand by and let Nadia Chamack harass Adrien. 

“Excuse me? Are you admitting to being Ladybug?” Nadia practically yelled.

Marinette recoiled. “What?! No! I…” It didn’t take much effort to make her face heat up from a blush. “Adrien and I… he likes when I… um… dress up in a Ladybug costume?” Her voice was barely a squeak at the end, but clearly everyone heard because several people in the crowd started to laugh.

Adrien looked mortified, and Marinette wanted to shrivel up and _die_.

Nadia looked at Marinette, and then she looked at the photo, then back at Marinette. “Wait. This is you in a _costume_?”

“Yes. I made it myself,” Marinette said, certain her face was the same shade as the suit by now. “I… I was pretending that I was Ladybug, come to visit my boyfriend. That’s why I was sitting on the windowsill.” She wrung her hands together.

“Wow, what a scoop. Kids roleplaying.” The camera guy switched the camera off in disgust. 

Nadia’s expression was pure disappointment. “You’re _sure_ this was you?”

“That’s definitely Marinette,” Adrien said. He’d gotten a little of his color back, though he still seemed horribly embarrassed. “She’s my girlfiend.”

“Ugh, figures,” Nadia sighed. She tore the photograph up and walked away. Gabriel, still looking pissed, went after her with Nathalie in tow.

Marinette toyed with the hem of her shirt, not meeting Adrien’s eyes as the crowd swiftly dispersed around them. He raised a hand to rub at the back of his neck, a sure-fire sign that he was still feeling extremely awkward. 

“Um… I, uh, I’m sorry about that. But thanks for the save,” Adrien whispered to her. No doubt he was trying to figure out how to explain who had _really_ been sitting on his windowsill.

Luckily for him, he didn’t have to.

“It’s okay, Hot Stuff,” Marinette said to the ground, and heard Adrien’s breath catch. She lifted her head. He was staring at her in shock.

“W-what - M-Mari?!” he stuttered.

She grinned shyly at him. “Next time, let’s make out in your bed instead. No cameras there,” she said, and went to enjoy the fashion show. It took Adrien about five minutes to get over his shock to catch up. She considered that an overall win.


	24. Reveal

Ladybug stared at the wall of ice that was blocking off the room’s only door. Frantically, she spun on her heel to examine the rest of the room. Any hope that a window might magically materialize died a swift death when she took in the panicked expressions of Alya, Adrien and Nino.

“What do we do now? I don’t have any reception,” Alya said, swallowing hard. She still held her phone, though she was no longer recording.

“We wait for Chat Noir,” Ladybug said firmly. A chill was creeping up her spine. “He’ll get us out. He was right behind me.”

“He had to go recharge, right?” Nino said. He shivered and moved closer to Alya. Adrien wrapped his arms around his body, biting his lip.

“Yes. But it shouldn’t take long.” Ladybug copied Adrien by wrapping her arms around herself and tried not to shiver. She didn’t want to look weak in front of her friends.

“I hope Marinette is okay,” Alya whispered.

“I’m sure she’s fine,” Ladybug said, keeping her face carefully blank. She hated having to ditch her friends when an akuma came. Hated even more that Alya and Nino, and apparently Adrien, wouldn’t do the smart thing and run.

Now they were trapped in a room filled with ice, she had no idea where Chat was, and her miraculous only had four spots left because she had already used her Lucky Charm to no success.

She was _so_ screwed.

They all stood there in silence for about a minute. Ladybug was trying to keep it together, but she could feel her thoughts slowing down. She was shivering now whether she wanted to or not, her teeth audibly clicking together.

She wished Chat were there. He was always so warm and soft, and he never minded giving her a good cuddle when it was cold. She closed her eyes and imagined sinking into his arms.

“Ladybug!” Adrien’s voice was sharp and worried. Ladybug jolted as an arm was slung around her waist; she hadn’t even realized she was listing dangerously until Adrien pulled her upright and into him.

He was _deliciously_ warm. She pressed her face into his throat, weakly clutching at his shirt. Her miraculous beeped. Three spots.

“What’s wrong with her?” Alya asked, but it sounded like she was coming from a long ways away.

“It’s the cold. We have to warm her up,” Adrien said. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed briskly at her biceps. “Stay awake, Ladybug.”

“I’m so tired,” she said, or thought she said. And Adrien was so _comfortable_. Almost as comfortable as her kitty.

Two more sources of warmth pressed up against her from the back, though they weren’t nearly as warm as Adrien. In spite of their efforts, Ladybug could feel the icy cold sinking down into her bones. Her shivering slowed.

Two beeps.

“Where the hell is Chat Noir?!” Nino said, sounding frantic. “We’re all gonna freeze to death!”

She wanted to reassure him, but her brain had turned to mush. Talking would take _far_ too much energy. She couldn’t even muster the strength to open her eyes.

“I still can’t get any cell reception!” Alya wailed. “What are we going to do?!”

Adrien sounded very strained when he said, “Can you guys take her? And - and don’t freak out. Alya, no recording.”

Ladybug whimpered when her biggest source of warmth stepped away. She sank to the ground, unable to hold herself up. The frozen ground just made her even colder.

“Plagg, claws out!”

“Oh my god!” Alya shrieked.

One beep.

“Cataclysm!”

There was a sound in the distance like crumbling rock, and then Ladybug was being scooped up off the ground. They were moving and then suddenly she was enveloped in warmth.

“You two get _out_ of here,” Adrien ordered. “I mean it. _Go_. I got this.”

“We’re going,” Nino said over the sound of Alya’s protests. “Just - just be careful, Dude.”

“Adrien?” Ladybug whispered, not opening her eyes. She was shivering again, so hard it hurt. Something _huge_ had happened and she _knew_ that, but trying to make her brain understand _what_ was beyond her capabilities right now.

“I’m here, My Lady,” he murmured, and that wasn’t right - but it _was_ right, somehow.

“Don’t let me go,” Ladybug pleaded, right before her transformation wore off. Tikki, trembling violently, fell into her hands.

His grip tightened, and he promised, “ _Never_.”

 


	25. Hiding

One of the things Adrien loved the most about Ladybug was her lips.

They were always soft, always tasted of that delicious raspberry lip balm she favored, and always eager. He could do nothing but kiss her for days. Who needed food or water when Ladybug’s lips were mere centimeters away?

“Mmm, Adrien,” she whispered, giggling when his hands found their way to her butt. He really loved her butt too. And he especially loved the way her costume outlined said butt.

“Yes, _Petite Coccinelle_?” he whispered back, playfully nipping at her bottom lip.

She giggled again and then suddenly flipped them, so that she was straddling his waist and looking down at him. Her blue eyes were bright with mischief behind her mask, and her hair was down around her shoulders. When had that happened?

Ladybug must have realized what he was looking at, because she huffed and leaned over to pick up two bright red hair ribbons from the bed. She held them up as evidence and tried to give him a stern look.

“What is it with you and my hair? Don’t you like my pigtails?”

“I love them,” Adrien breathed. “I guess… I just like it when you’re… _relaxed_. Less like the Ladybug everyone else gets to see.”

Her mock-serious expression gentled into the tender look that always made his heart skip a beat. He couldn’t resist reaching up and running his fingers through her hair. The dark tendrils were soft as silk, sliding through his fingers.

Ladybug opened her mouth like she was about to speak, but was cut off when the doorknob rattled. Both of them froze. Adrien stared in gobsmacked horror as the door _started to open_.

In a split second Ladybug leapt off him and slid under the bed.

“Adrien?” Gabriel was standing there, holding a key. A key to Adrien’s door.

“Father, what are you doing here? I thought you had meetings,” Adrien said, quickly sliding off his bed and standing up.

A much better question would’ve been, how the hell did you get a key to my door? But Adrien knew there was no point in asking that. Gabriel wouldn’t have given him the answer he wanted. He’d have to bribe Plagg to get the key later.

“They ended early. Nathalie told me you’ve been up here all night,” Gabriel said. He walked into the room and took a long, slow look around.

The hair on the back of Adrien’s neck prickled with unease. The bed covers were messed up, making it obvious that something had been happening. He was sure his hair and clothing were messy too. He tried to think fast. It was obvious he hadn’t been sleeping…

“I’ve been… hanging out,” Adrien said lamely, meeting his father’s eyes. He deliberately didn’t look at the bed, and hoped that Ladybug would stay hidden for a little longer.

“Alone?” Gabriel asked, piercing his son with a knowing look.

“Yes. Just me and myself,” Adrien said. He folded his arms across his chest.

“And I suppose you were the one who made that hickey on your neck,” said Gabriel, mouth curling down in displeasure.

From beneath the bed, there came a horrified squeak. Gabriel’s head snapped around and his expression darkened.

“Father, wait!” Adrien burst out.

Gabriel looked back at him for a split second - just long enough for a pale red light to seep out from beneath the bed and then fade. Adrien froze. He watched in stupefied horror as his father jerked up the bed skirt and looked underneath.

“Hello, Mlle Dupain-Cheng,” Gabriel said coldly.

Adrien’s jaw dropped. He watched in shock as Marinette awkwardly clambered out from under the bed. She was wearing sneakers, blue jean shorts and a cotton pink tank top. Her hair was still down around her shoulders.

“Being that it’s almost midnight, I think it’s time you left,” Gabriel said. “Should I call your parents?”

“Please don’t,” Marinette said, looking horrified by the thought. “They know where I am.”

“How kind of you to extend _them_ that courtesy,” Gabriel said pointedly. Marinette flushed and that snapped Adrien out of his stupor.

“C’mon, I’ll walk you to the door,” he blurted out, scowling at Gabriel. He moved towards Marinette, taking in her blue eyes, the curve of her jaw, the slope of her neck. All features he knew so well.

 _How_ had he not figured it out?!

He lead Marinette downstairs, thankful when Gabriel didn’t follow, and to the front door. There he paused, taking in the mortified look on her face. She was darting tiny looks up at him, but never daring to meet his eyes.

“Maybe we can talk tomorrow,” Adrien suggested.

She nodded, but didn’t reply. Frustrated, he opened the front door to let her through. But he and Ladybug never separated without a kiss, and he wasn’t about to break tradition now. As she walked past him, he leaned down slightly to kiss her cheek and heard her startled inhale.

Into her ear, he whispered, “We can talk about this tomorrow morning. Meet me on the Eiffel Tower at 9am… My Lady.”

He closed the door and smiled to himself at the shocked shriek that came from the other side. It was _almost_ worth the mortifying end to their night.


	26. Piano

“You’re having a piano recital?”

Adrien glanced up from the remains of his physics homework and blushed faintly when he saw the engraved invitation in Ladybug’s hands. The sight of the looping whorls of silver ink made his stomach turn over.

“I’m supposed to be,” he said, because there was no point in denying it when she held the proof in her hands.

“Why haven’t you mentioned it?” Ladybug asked, looking curious. “It’s tomorrow morning. You didn’t invite me or your friends.”

He looked at her suspiciously. “How do you know I didn’t invite my friends?”

It was _her_ turn to blush, and she coughed and said quickly, “I just… assumed you hadn’t.”

It was one of those awkward moments where it would’ve been _so easy_ to push, but, out of respect for his girlfriend, he refrained. He loved Ladybug too much to make her uncomfortable with questions she couldn’t, or didn’t want to, answer.

“You’re right. I didn’t,” he said, and she looked relieved. “I guess it’s because I didn’t really want to do the recital in the first place. My teacher and my father wanted me to so I said yes, but now he’s not even going to be there.” Saying it out loud left a bad taste in his mouth.

“Your dad isn’t? Why not?” Ladybug seemed more resigned than surprised as she asked, which was honestly fair.

“He’s got some… _something_ ,” Adrien muttered. Nathalie had tried to explain, but Adrien hadn’t wanted to hear it. He didn’t like the idea of performing in front of other people, and had only agreed because he thought it would make Gabriel happy… or even proud.

So much for that.

“So no one will be there?” Ladybug was frowning.

“Well, my teacher will be there. And some other students who are performing. Other parents.” He hoped he didn’t sound as bitter as he felt.

Ladybug’s frown deepened. “That’s awful. I’m sorry, Adrien.”

“It’s not your fault my dad sucks,” he said, sighing. They’d talked about his father before. Gabriel might not know it, but there was no love lost between him and Ladybug.

“It’s still not fair.” Ladybug seemed to come to a decision then, because she looked back at him. “Would you… is it okay if I come?”

Adrien stared at her in astonishment. “Really? But… you hate going out in public in your costume.”

And he couldn’t even blame her for that. Over the past three years, Ladybug’s and Chat’s popularity had risen with each win. It had gotten to the point where people would mob them for photographs and pictures. Both of them tried to stay away from the public eye as much as they could.

“Let me worry about that,” she said with a smile. “I’ll be there, and I’ll even wear that beautiful necklace you bought me.”

“I… I’d like that,” Adrien admitted, turning away from his homework. “It would make me really happy if you’d come.”

“Then I’ll be there,” she said, like it was just that easy. “What about your friends?”

“Piano recitals are boring. I don’t think they’d want to come,” Adrien said. Truth be told, he was a little afraid of inviting people and having them not bother to come. He got enough of that attitude from his father.

“I think you’re wrong,” Ladybug said softly, but she was kind enough not to press it.

She stayed a while longer before leaving just before 11pm. Adrien noticed with bemusement that she took all six invitations with her when she went. He couldn’t understand why she’d want them all until the next day, when he walked out on stage.

There, right smack dab in the front row, was Alya, Nino, Chloé, Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng, and Marinette. Adrien stared at them in wonder, realizing that Ladybug had to be behind this. How had she gotten them to come on such short notice?

And then he saw it.

For their six month anniversary, he’d let his corny side out and bought a necklace for Ladybug. Strung on a white gold chain, the pedant was a ruby ladybug with five, miniature black opals affixed to each wing. He’d had the word ‘forever’ engraved on the belly of the ladybug.

Marinette was wearing that necklace.

Adrien stood there like an idiot halfway across the stage, frozen, staring at her.

She grinned at him like they were the only people in the room, a familiar, confident grin that had always made Adrien weak at the knees. Then she winked and blew him a kiss, and Adrien’s heart restarted with enough force to make his breath catch.

Even with the realization of her identity thundering through him, only one thought surfaced above the maelstrom.

 _She‘s here. Ladybug‘s_ here _. She promised she would come and she_ did _._

He couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face. He beamed at her, so happy he thought he might pass out, and walked over to take his seat. He set his fingers to the keys and began: a song for his beautiful lady straight from his heart.

 


	27. Protect You

He saw her go down, but there was literally no way he could’ve gotten to her in time to prevent it.

That didn’t stop him from hating himself as he gently laid Ladybug’s frail body on his bed. She was breathing, but he swore he could hear her struggling for each breath. He was almost relieved when his transformation wore off, and he couldn’t hear the thin rattle in her chest anymore.

“That was a bad hit. You okay, kid?” Plagg asked.

“I’m not the one who got hit,” Adrien said, blinking back tears. Ladybug’s suit was red, which helped to hide the blood. But he knew there was a lot of it.

He got half a wheel of Camembert for Plagg and some towels from the bathroom for Ladybug. He pressed them to her chest, hoping to stop the bleeding, and her eyes fluttered open at the touch.

“Adrien?” she whispered, mask crinkling as her eyebrows drew together.

“It’s okay. We’re safe here,” Adrien said, trying to sound calm. A hospital would’ve been a better bet, but that would’ve meant her identity was at risk. Ladybug, he knew, wouldn’t want that until it was absolutely necessary.

“What -” Ladybug looked around his room, struggling to understand.

Adrien could’ve lied. He could’ve told her that he’d been in the watching crowd, and that Chat had tasked him with getting her somewhat safe. Or he could’ve said that Chat had brought her here, left her and gone back to fighting.

But Adrien was tired and scared, and he’d just watched the love of his life nearly die, and he just _couldn’t_ _lie_ _to her again_.

“I brought you here, Bugaboo. You took a hard hit.”

He watched the confusion melt away and understanding flash across her face. Her blue eyes went very wide and she stared at him like she’d never seen him before. Adrien tried to smile, but suspected it was coming through as more of a grimace.

“I’m sorry. I panicked. My only thought was protecting you,” he admitted, hunching his shoulders. “My house was closest.” He couldn’t look her in the face.

Ladybug was quiet for a long time. Then she reached out and shakily laid her hand over his. Adrien stared at their hands, then slowly lifted his eyes to meet hers. Even though she must’ve been in pain, she smiled at him.

“It’s okay, _mon minou_ ,” she breathed.

It felt like something shattered in his chest when she called him ‘my kitty’. Adrien couldn’t stop the tears from welling up and sliding down his cheeks. Ladybug’s grip tightened painfully on his hand.

“I should be comforting you. You’re the one bleeding,” Adrien said finally, wiping at his face with his sleeve.

“I’ve had worse,” Ladybug said with a faint shake of her head. Then she sucked in a sharp breath and winced.

“Don’t move,” Adrien said quickly.

“I have to move. I have to help you.”

“No. You’re gonna stay here. I’ll bring the akumatized object to you,” he told her when she looked like she wanted to argue. “I’ll break it and help you catch the akuma. Then you can cast your miraculous cure.”

Ladybug pursed her lips, obviously not pleased. “You won’t get hurt, right? You’ll be careful?”

“I promise,” Adrien said. He dared to lift her hand and kiss the back of it, and was pleased to see her blush.

“Okay. I’ll cast Lucky Charm for you. Maybe it’ll help. My yo-yo -”

He fetched her yo-yo from where it had fallen to the carpet during their rushed entry into the room. He had to wrap his own hands around Ladybug’s to help her throw it into the air, and he was the one who caught the red, black-spotted hammer that fell.

“Do you know what to do with that?” Ladybug adked.

Adrien hefted the hammer and _smiled_. “I can think of a few things, My Lady.”

“Okay. Good luck, _Chaton_.”

“I’ll be back before your transformation runs out,” he told her. Not because he was worried about her identity, but because he thought that being transformed might be the only thing keeping her conscious right now.

“I trust you,” she said, looking right at him. Like she _meant_ it. Adrien would die before he broke that trust.

“Plagg, claws out!” he shouted, punching the air. Green light swirled around him. Ladybug stared at him in wonder; he wished he had time to enjoy it. He kept his eyes on her even as he leaped out the window, until he couldn’t see her anymore. Then he faced forward with a renewed fire in his heart.

That akuma was going to _pay_.


	28. Tangled

Ladybug landed lightly on the ledge outside Adrien’s room. She stood there for a moment, smiling to herself. She’d told Adrien she wouldn’t be able to come tonight because of a previous commitment, but it turned out her parents didn’t need her help in the bakery after all.

She’d decided to surprise her boyfriend, bringing over a batch of cupcakes she’d baked herself earlier. Adrien _adored_ pastries but he didn’t get to have them often. It was honestly a toss-up as to which he’d be happier to see, Ladybug or the cupcakes.

He always left his window unlocked for her, and tonight was no different. Ladybug pushed the window up and entered, looking around. All of her senses went on alert when she spotted Adrien laying on the floor.

“Adrien? Adrien!” she called out, worried. Had he slipped? Got sick and fainted? Hit his head? She set the cupcakes down and rushed over to him.

“Hmm… Ladybug?” Adrien opened his eyes and yawned as she stopped short. He smiled up at her, but Ladybug was a little preoccupied.

“Adrien… what happened?” she asked, pressing a hand over her mouth to hide her laughter.

Adrien blushed a shade of red to rival her suit and squirmed, but he didn’t get far. He was completely entangled in the string from a red, black-spotted yo-yo.

“I… uh, I tripped?” he said sheepishly.

“And accidentally fell into a yo-yo that just happens to be a perfect match for mine?” Ladybug asked.

His blush deepened. “Well…”

“Well?” she prompted.

“Iwastryingtolearnsometrickstoimpressyou,” he mumbled quickly, so quickly that it took Ladybug a moment to parse through what he’d said.

“Oh, Adrien,” she said, and finally let herself giggle. “You’re too sweet.”

“It didn’t work,” he said, pouting. “Yo-yo tricks are _hard_.”

“Tell me about it. I’ve tried my hand at them in my civilian form. I can’t do squat,” Ladybug said, kneeling down. She grabbed the yo-yo in one hand and tried to find the end of the string with the other.

“I couldn’t even do the easy ones,” he grumbled.

“It’s a lot easier with a magical yo-yo,” she pointed out. “Umm… I have no idea how to get you out of this. Would you be opposed to me cutting you out?”

“I just want out,” he said, so plaintively that Ladybug paused.

“How long have you been this way?” she asked.

“… a couple hours,” he admitted.

“A couple _hours_? Adrien, what were you planning to do if I hadn’t shown up?!” She jumped up to grab scissors from his desk.

“Hope for the best?” he offered.

“Seriously?” Ladybug shook her head and knelt again, using the scissors to cut the string. Adrien rolled over and sat up, stretching.

“Thanks, Lady - whoa, are those _cupcakes_?!” His eyes lit up.

Obviously he was no worse for the wear. Ladybug rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling fondly. She gathered the remains of the yo-yo and dropped it in the trash before answering.

“You can have one, but only if you promise to leave the yo-yos to me from now on,” she said.

Adrien grinned at her. “Deal,” he said, before opening the box, grabbing a cupcake and smushing it all into his mouth in one bite.


	29. Matching

“Hey Ladybug?”

Ladybug hummed in acknowledgement without looking up from the book she’d discovered on Adrien’s shelves, tucked in behind a bunch of manga. It was full of notes about 1960’s fashion from all over the world.

“I have a question.”

It was more the tone of Adrien’s voice that made her lift her head than the question. He sounded uncustomarily _nervous_. She looked up at him, ready to answer, and froze.

Because he was standing there holding two ring boxes.

“A-Adrien?” she stammered.

“I love you,” he said quietly, but with such intensity that her breath caught. “I love you so much, My Lady. I know we’re only eighteen, but I know in my heart that I will _always_ love you. You’re everything to me. And we’re partners in almost everything, but I…” he swallowed. “I want to be partners in _every_ way.”

She stared at him, shocked speechless, as he knelt on one knee before her. He set one of the ring boxes down on the floor and held the other up to her. He opened the top of the box to reveal a ring: it was white gold, with a princess cut diamond on top surrounded by miniature sapphires and emeralds.

It was the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen.

“Will you marry me, Ladybug?” Adrien asked.

“ _Chaton_ … Adrien…” Ladybug could feel herself starting to cry and blinked rapidly. She’d never expected this.

They’d been fighting together for over four years now. They’d been dating for just over a year. She’d known that Adrien was Chat for almost six months. She hadn’t told him her own identity yet, citing concerns about safety.

But as she sat there, staring at her amazing partner and boyfriend, Ladybug realized she _didn’t care_. She didn’t care if Hawkmoth found out who she was. She didn’t care if all of _Paris_ found out who she was. Adrien deserved to know.

“Yes,” she said, a huge smile stretching across her face. “Yes, Adrien, of course I’ll marry you!”

He beamed like she’d made all his wishes come true, eyes as bright as the ring, and took the ring from the box to slide it on her finger. It fit perfectly. Ladybug admired the way it looked against her suit, knowing that very shortly she’d see it against her bare finger.

“I love you,” Adrien said, surging up to kiss her.

“I love you too,” she whispered. She kissed him back with everything that she was, pouring all of her love into the kiss.

“What’s in the other box?” she asked when they broke the kiss to breathe, and he flushed.

“Oh, uh, I know guys don’t usually wear engagement rings, but I want all of Paris to know I’m taken. It’s not identical to yours, but I liked it.”

She picked up the other box and opened it to find another white gold band. This one was much more subtle, with a tiny diamond and just one emerald and sapphire set into the band. She took it from the box and slid it onto his finger on the opposite hand from his miraculous.

“There. Now you have a matching set,” she said, holding his hands up. “Two rings to mark the two most important things in your life.”

His smile looked a little teary and he reached up to cup her cheek, then leaned in to kiss her again. Ladybug kissed his mouth and then his cheek, slowly kissing her way over to his ear.

“It’s my turn to surprise you,” she whispered in his ear.

He started. “Surprise me? What -”

“Tikki, spots off,” Ladybug said, her smile growing, and he gasped as he pulled back to see her face. His eyes widened as she grinned at him, and then he tackled her to the bed to kiss her all over.

Later, they would shock the hell out of everyone by announcing their engagement seemingly out of the blue. For now, this moment was just for the two of them.


	30. Paris

“Are you happy here, Ladybug?” Adrien rolled over onto his stomach and propped his chin on his elbows so that he could look at his girlfriend. She was sitting in his desk chair, staring at the latest post from the Ladyblog.

But she turned around to face him when he spoke, head tilted inquisitively. “What do you mean?”

“In Paris, I mean. Today at school everyone was talking about what they wanted to do after graduation. A lot of people aren’t staying here,” he explained. Juleka and Rose were planning to take a year to backpack across the US. Max was heading to MIT. Alix was going to Japan with her father. Lila, if she could be believed, was traveling to Russia with her mother. The list went on.

“Oh.” Ladybug didn’t say anything for a moment. She twined her fingers around in her lap, then clenched them into fists.

“My best friend - Nino, that is, is thinking about taking a long trip. He wants me to go with him,” Adrien added. He’d already made up his mind practically before Nino had finished asking, but he was curious to see what she’d say.

“You should go if you want to,” Ladybug said immediately.

“Would you go?” Adrien asked.

Ladybug sighed then, and said, “I had an offer to go to New York once. But… if I leave Paris, then I can’t be Ladybug anymore.” She half-turned away to look out the window, and the light of the setting sun brought out the blue highlights in her hair. “I’ve been Ladybug for over three years now. It’s a part of who I am. I don’t think I could leave that behind.”

Adrien exhaled slowly. He knew exactly what she met, even though Ladybug didn’t know that. “Would you go if you weren’t Ladybug?”

“I don’t know,” Ladybug said, blinking. “Maybe. I’ve never thought about it.”

“That’s fair,” Adrien said with a nod. He dropped his gaze back down to his phone.

“And then there’s Chat,” Ladybug went on, and Adrien snapped to attention. “He’s my partner. It would be really hard to leave him now. We’ve been through so much together. And you.” She looked at him and smiled sadly. “I can’t imagine leaving you, Adrien.”

“I feel the same way,” he said honestly.

Ladybug shook her head. “You shouldn’t. I’m stuck here because Paris needs me. You’re not.”

“You want me to go?” Adrien asked, stung.

She flailed her arms. “No! No, of course not. I just - I don’t want you to feel like _you’re_ stuck here with me.”

“I’m not. I’m exactly where I want to be,” Adrien said quietly. “Do you… do you ever worry that I’ll leave? Or that Chat will?”

The way she bit her lip betrayed her real emotions even before she admitted, “Well… sometimes. Chat and I haven’t talked about the future much, but I know that your father would like you to travel more for photoshoots once you leave school. I know you want to attend university here, but…” She trailed off, looking down at the floor.

 _But Gabriel usually won_. That’s what she wouldn’t say.

Adrien set his jaw and made a decision. He hadn’t know that she was worrying about this, but in retrospect it seemed obvious. He was so stupid. He thought Ladybug knew where he, and Chat, stood, but it seemed that she didn’t. Or maybe she just needed to hear it out loud.

“Ladybug, I won’t leave you. I can’t. For as long as Paris needs you, I will be here,” he told her. “And so will Chat.”

“You can’t know that, Adrien,” she said quietly.

“Yeah, I can. I would never leave my lady.”

He was watching her so closely that he saw the moment it clicked, the way her shoulders tightened and her head lifted slightly. Adrien smiled to himself and rolled off the bed, landing easily on the floor and straightening up. He let a bit of his miraculous-imbued grace, which he normally worked so hard to hide, propel his movements. She watched him with very wide eyes.

“I’m going to university here. I’ll quit working with the company if I have to. I’ll be of age; Gabriel can’t stop me,” he said. He held up his hand to show her his miraculous. Her eyes snapped to it. “I know I can’t purify akumas, but I would never leave you to fight them on your own.”

She was so still that he thought he might have royally screwed up. Then, suddenly, Ladybug launched herself out of her chair and threw herself at him. Adrien caught her easily, though he was a little less prepared when she wrapped her legs around his waist to let him take her full weight.

“Adrien, _Chaton_ ,” she was sobbing, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

“It’s okay,” Adrien whispered, hugging her tightly. He closed his eyes and thought back to that conversation in class today. There had been one other student who had kept conspiciously quiet while everyone else was talking excitedly about their plans. Marinette had smiled in all the right places, but her smile had never reached her eyes.

If his suspicions were correct, maybe tomorrow Marinette would have a reason to _really_ smile. He hoped so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ficlet now has a second part: [AU Yeah August Day 19: Roadtrip](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20068087/chapters/48155752).
> 
> Also with that, Ladrien June is officially over. Tomorrow starts the first day of Ladynoir July, so I hope you'll join me!

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](https://tsuki-chibi.tumblr.com/).


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